Excellence in Technology & Innovation

The Excellence in Technology & Innovation Awards recognise dynamic businesses that demonstrate outstanding innovation in products, services, or business models, resulting in improved business performance, operational effectiveness, or customer engagement. These awards honour businesses that not only innovate but also actively contribute to the innovation ecosystem and advocate for driving the Mid Canterbury economy.

The Innovation & Technology Excellence Awards celebrate businesses that embrace a culture of innovation, driving growth and success through creative solutions. These businesses have successfully applied innovative ideas to enhance their performance and engage customers.

Who should enter?

The Technology and Innovation Awards are open to businesses and organisations that demonstrate exemplary adoption of innovation and technology in their operations and practices.

Examples of businesses eligible for these awards may include:

Established businesses implementing innovative technologies to enhance efficiency and productivity.

Start-ups utilising cutting-edge technologies to disrupt traditional industries.

E-commerce companies leveraging innovative digital solutions for seamless customer experiences.

Manufacturing firms incorporating automation and IoT to optimise production processes.

Healthcare providers using telemedicine and digital health solutions for enhanced patient care.

Financial institutions adopting fintech innovations for secure and convenient banking services.

Retailers employing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for immersive shopping experiences.

Sustainable businesses utilising technology to minimise their environmental impact.

Construction companies implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM) for efficient project management.

Service providers offering tech-driven solutions for personalised and tailored services.

Our Category Partner

Mt Hutt Digital help create brands & design web solutions to grow businesses. We work with SMEs, corporate businesses and organisations across a broad range of sectors including the events industry, tourism, technology, healthcare, retail, hospitality and professional services, as well as various charities, educational institutes and nonprofits.

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0064 3 307 7700

5 Baring Square West,
Ashburton 7700

Ashburton district event wins prestigious national award!

September 8, 2024

Mid Canterbury’s event management and promotions company Rí Rá Events, working in partnership with the Ashburton District Council has picked up a prestigious New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) award for, “Best Local Government Event” for their production of the ANZ Business of The Year Awards 2024. Rí Rá Events attended the NZEA awards gala dinner in Palmerston North on Tuesday 27 th August to collect the award. The event also received “special mention” in the “Best Business Event” category on the evening. The ANZ Business of The Year Awards was held in February 2024 at the Ashburton Aviation Museum and 375 guests attended the gala awards dinner. The overall objective of the event was to promote the Ashburton District as a great place to do business. Rí Rá events have already commenced work on the 2026 Business of the Year Awards event welcoming ANZ Bank onboard once again for the journey. Speaking about the awards, director Colm McGrath said, “We’re delighted to win a New Zealand Event Association Award for this event. We believe it proves that Mid Canterbury can and does deliver great events. It was a pleasure to work with the economic development and events team from Ashburton District Council on this project” Rí Rá events & Ashburton District Council were shortlisted as finalists in July and competed against the following events, Local Wild Food Festival, Whakatāne District Council, Taste Hastings, Hastings District Council , TSB Festival of Lights Winter Pop Up, New Plymouth District Council and Waitangi Day 2024, Porirua City to win this award. Founded in 2019 by two Irish kiwis, Gary Manning & Colm McGrath Rí Rá Events produces and promotes events predominantly in the Mid Canterbury region. It’s key clients include The Embassy of Ireland, The Ashburton District Council, ANZ Bank, Ashburton Toyota and The New Zealand Law Society. The phase Rí Rá roughly translates from Gaeilge to English as ‘fun’.

ANZ Business of The Year Awards 2024 Event has been shortlisted as finalists for the 2024 NZEA Awards

July 8, 2024

The ANZ Business of the Year Awards, a joint venture between Ashburton District Council & Ri Ra Events has been shortlisted as a finalist for Best Business Event and Best Local Government Event in the New Zealand Event Industry Awards 2024.

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