WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT THE FIRST EVER LINCOLN GEM AWARDS, RECOGNISING BUSINESSES GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Lincoln BIG were thrilled to organise the first ever GEM Awards for 2023. The awards recognise Lincoln BIG members for high levels of customer service and those who go the extra mile for their customers.

The judging took place anonymously throughout August and September by an independent, specialised company, Storecheckers to ensure all participating businesses were judged fairly and equally.

27 shortlisted businesses and over 150 of their employees gathered to celebrate high levels of customer service and those who go the extra mile for their customers, with the awards ceremony taking place at Home, Lincoln.

Guests arrived at the impressive event and were welcomed by the Lincoln BIG team with a range of goodies, provided by local businesses, available alongside drinks and delicious canapes. Everyone also enjoyed some impressive magic tricks and jaw dropping illusions by Roy Bond Magician, combined with a magnificent performance by the Curious Theatre School.

The winners of the first ever GEM Awards 2023 are:

Health, Beauty, and Wellness – Newland Chiropractic & Neurology Centre

National Retailer – LUSH Cosmetics Lincoln

Independent Retailer – D.A.S Electrical

Food on the Go – Burnetts Sandwich Co

Restaurant – Tortilla

Coffee Shop, Tea Room, and Café – Caffè Portico

Bar, Club, and Late-Night Venue – Lion & Snake

Professional Services – TSB

Experience and Entertainment – Tension Twisted Realities

The event also welcomed talented Lincoln City Football Club First Team Defender, Lasse Sørensen, to the stage to award the few businesses that scored an impressive 100% for their customer service! These businesses included: Lush, Newland Chiropractic & Neurology Centre and Burnetts Sandwich Co.

Lincoln BIG’s Relationship and Operations Manager, Danielle, spoke about the evening saying:

“This was truly a delightful event celebrating the brilliant businesses and their hard work across various sectors within the city. The evening was a great opportunity to honour the best of customer service in Lincoln, shining a spotlight on the organisations that help make the city centre a memorable and friendly place to live and visit.”

“We were really impressed with the feedback received by Storecheckers. It’s brilliant to see the wealth of excellent customer service and dedication amongst the businesses in our city. The GEM Awards are a fantastic way to showcase those organisations that go the extra mile to make a difference in the lives of visitors, workers and locals in the city centre.”

Lee Roberts, Head of Operations at Lincoln BIG added “We look forward to seeing these awards grow each year and continuing to champion our members and celebrate local businesses of all sectors”.

“Everyone is encouraged to keep an eye out for when the GEM Awards 2024 nominations open, as we start planning the next Awards night, which is promising to be even bigger and better!”

Lincoln BIG would like to thank all the businesses that took part and helped make the night an unforgettable success. This includes Home for hosting and Place Immersive for capturing the celebrations through video production, graphics and photography.

Images of the night can be found here (image credit to Place Immersive).