Past 40under40 winners from every year since the inaugural celebration in 2002 were in attendance at the 2005 Awards gala, which not only celebrated the achievements of 40 new and outstanding young entrepreneurs, but also the ongoing successes of all 40under40 winners.
The 2005 40under40 Awards gala was the first private function ever held in the grounds of Western Australia’s Parliament House.
This unique and dramatic location, overlooking the central business district from its lofty viewpoint at the top of St Georges Terrace, was a fitting venue for an event that recognises the state’s best young business talent.
The gala awards night represented the culmination of six months of intensive organisation.
The program began with a call for nominations, during which time the events team sought to unearth the best of WA’s hidden business talent.
This was followed by a rigorous judging process, during which the panel of 19 judges dealt with the difficult task of selecting 40 winners from a record 178 nominations.
As WA Business News sponsorship and events manager I am very proud to say that, in 2005, not only did we receive a record level of nominations, but the quality and calibre of those entries highlighted the diverse range of industries in which WA is a creative and innovative leader.
And significantly, as far as WA Business News is concerned, if the awards make people proud to be Western Australian and add to the dynamic business environ-ment in this state, then we are achieving our goals.
Finally, I would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and the many hard-working individuals who, through their vision and artistic talent, created the biggest 40under40 celebration ever.
We have already started work on the 2006 40under40 Awards program and are again seeking a unique and unexpected venue. We are also aiming to ensure that the awards will promote the arts in WA and, most importantly, have already begun the quest to discover our next group of 40 winners.
