The Australian Halal Food Awards operates as an Independant organisation in the Australian Market. To achieve this we wanted to ensure that the Australian Consumers maintain a key role in its success by being active in the process of Nominations, Voting for Finalists and having the opportunity to participate in Events . We also recognise the importance of having experienced people providing invaluable knowledge and guidance towards selecting the Winners of Each Category.
We can't give away all our secrets on the first day but we wanted to share an insight into what we are doing to bring these Awards to everyone.
1. Nominations (which is currently open!)
Nominations will be open for a limited time (often 2- 3 Months)
The General Public and Members are able to submit nominations of suitable Outlets. This includes the categories for consideration. So you can nominate your favourite Lebanese Restaurant or your favourite Local Butcher. There is no limit on the number of places able to be nominated.
Nominations for the Halal Food Awards will be managed exclusively through either www.halalfoodawards.com.au or www.halalfood.com.au
Once the nominations stage is closed we can not accept any late nominations (try again next year). The team will then review and compile the list of all Nominated Outlets and the categories they are eligible for consideration of.
2. Vote - Now you get to have a real say!
During the Voting Stage people will be able to cast 1 Vote for Each Category. To ensure that this process remains fair only registered members to www.halalfoodawards.com.au will have access to vote through the Members section.
Once voting is completed only the Top 4 Most Voted Outlets will be submitted as the Finalists for that Category.
Finalists will be notified and awarded recognition for being a State Finalist in the Category they were nominated for.This is prestigous as it gives recognition to each Finalist by their peers.
3. State Panels (A little bit of Mystery for now...)
Each Panel consists of a number of people that have experience and knowledge for the Food Industry. A breakdown of the Panel Size is as follows: NSW: 9 Panel Members Vic: 9 Panel Members Qld: 7 Panel Members SA: 5 Panel Members WA: 5 Panel Members ACT: 3 Panel Members NT: 3 Panel Members
The Panel is made up of a diverse group to reflect different Regions, Experiences and Knowledge of the Industry. We aim to maintain a mix group and it will operate independently with the full support of the Halal Food Team. Each Panel will have a designated Chair Person who will assist with the assessment of Finalists.
The Top 4 Finalists for each category will be assessed by the Panel for each state
Finalists will be assessed by the Panel on a range of Criteria including Quality, Taste, Value, Experience and a few others. This is a discrete process with rating or feedback being carried out in confidential manner.
The Highest Rated Finalist that receives the Highest Score across all categories will be announced as the State Winner.
State Winner for each category will receive prestigous Title of "State Winner" for the Category, receiving full recognition, trophy and bragging rights till the next Awards. The State winner will also be submitted for consideration of the National Award for that Category.
4. National Award Night (A little bit of Mystery for now...)
The Awards Night is a prestigious Gala Event that will be shared through each state on an annual basis.
The Awards Night is to be a Formal Gala Evening , a feature event in the Calendar where Finalists will be given recognition on the National and International Stage.
The Awards Night will be supported by a Community Festival to celebrate the Diversity and Culture of Food, the binding and positive influence that Food brings to a community as strong as that within Australia.
The Awards Night will consist of dining experience, entertainment and guest speakers it will take place at a suitable Venue.
Allocation of tables will reflect the diversity of the Community. This includes representation of the following groups: Community Groups (Regions) Charity Groups Consumer Influencers Govt. Depts (Local, State and Federal) Sponsors Finalists Organisers Media
National Winner for each category will receive prestigous Title of "National Winner" for that Category, receiving full recognition, trophy and "bragging" rights till the next Awards.
So that should give you a good idea of the level of planning that the team have embarked on. We are under no illusion that this is a lot of work but with the support of the wider community and by automating the Nomination, Voting and more we feel it will make our workload a little easier.
Naturaly there are some aspects that we have left out for now but that is really just so we can get active in providing the best service possible. We really want to see these awards to grow into the Positive Experien
ce that we aspire it to be...
Insya'Allah this will be the first of many steps in supporting and recognising the work of many of our Brothers and Sisters across Australia.
Regards
Mai