From Construction Site to Celebration

Hamilton Central Business Association is proud to have brought together the Love the Centre Awards, celebrating the businesses and people whose energy, resilience and commitment help Hamilton’s central city thrive. A huge thank you goes to key sponsor Spark Business and supporting sponsor Mediaworks for helping bring the Love the Centre Awards to life.

The future lobby of Hamilton’s Pullman Hotel became a spectacular celebration space for the awards, bringing the central city business community together for an evening of recognition, connection and celebration. With a crane providing a striking backdrop and concrete floors incorporated into the setting, the hotel construction site offered a memorable glimpse of what is to come when the new hotel opens early next year.

For one night, the space came alive with beautiful event styling, delicious canapés by Pragma Catering and an upbeat atmosphere, as businesses gathered to celebrate achievements across 10 award categories. The occasion was captured in photography and video by Moving Media and Gilmour Photography.

Hamilton Central Business Association General Manager Vanessa Williams says the evening recognised both the award recipients and the wider contribution of the central city business community. “Our businesses are at the heart of what makes Hamilton’s central city a place people want to visit, work and spend time in. They create jobs, deliver memorable experiences, build connections and give our city centre its energy and character,” says Williams. “The Love the Centre Awards are an opportunity to acknowledge that contribution and celebrate the people behind it.”

Spark Business says it is proud to support the awards and recognise the ambition, resilience and innovation demonstrated by Hamilton’s central city businesses. “These businesses play an important role in creating a thriving city centre, and it was fantastic to celebrate the people and organisations helping shape Hamilton’s future,” says Fabian Pathirana, Spark Business Lead, Waikato.

Mediaworks says the awards provided a valuable opportunity to bring the business community together and celebrate the people and ideas that contribute to the city’s character. “The Love the Centre Awards shine a light on the businesses and individuals that give Hamilton’s central city its energy and identity. We are proud to support an evening that celebrates their achievements,” says Stewart Melrose, General Manager, Mediaworks Waikato.

The evening also acknowledged the endurance of businesses through the challenges of the 2020s, recognising the determination, adaptability and commitment required to continue contributing to the central city. “The 2020s have certainly presented a number of challenges for businesses. Continuing to show up, invest in their businesses and serve their customers takes real resilience,” says Williams. “To see businesses come together, support one another and take pride in what they have achieved was incredibly special. There was a genuine sense of enjoyment and optimism in the room.”

The venue itself reflected that optimism. Hosting the awards in the space that will become the Pullman Hotel’s lobby connected a celebration of today’s business community with an exciting new chapter for central Hamilton. Royal Lab delivered a phenomenal transformation of the construction site, creating a beautiful event venue while making a feature of its distinctive surroundings. The crane and concrete floors became part of the evening’s character, giving the celebration a setting unlike any other.

Hamilton Central Business Association extends its sincere thanks to the Pullman team for the considerable effort involved in making the evening possible, with particular recognition of Sanjil Mistry and Pienaar Piso for allowing the event to take place in such a unique location. “Opening up a construction site for an awards evening is no small undertaking. We are hugely grateful to Sanjil, Pienaar and the entire team for their support and effort,” says Williams. Thanks also go to MCs Stu and Camille from The Breeze, whose warmth and energy helped carry the celebrations throughout the night.

“This evening was a celebration of a community that continues to contribute so much to Hamilton,” says Williams. “Recognising that contribution matters. When we come together to champion our businesses, we strengthen the connections, pride and momentum that help our central city thrive.”