Education, training and recognition are all part of the core values of BNI, so what better way to show a Giver’s Gain® attitude by recognising the best of the best from the BNI Gold Coast Region.

Dressed in their finest, including of course their official BNI Name Badges, over 140 BNI Gold Coast members gathered together on Thursday 4th December 2014 at One50 Public House in Bundall.

It was here that our MC, Paul Lomas, Executive Director BNI Australia, guided us through the mornings award ceremony.  The awards for the day included;

Chapter Of The Year – The chapter who ranked the highest based on the traffic light systems for reporting

Notable Networker for the Gold Coast Region- The top individual networker for the Gold Coast Region based on chapter statistics

Most Improved Chapter – The chapter who showed the most improved throughout the year based on the traffic light system for reporting

Notable Networker Of The Year – The top individual members for each chapter based on chapter statistics

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) – The most valuable individual chapter member based on votes by other chapter members

Gold Club Members – an exclusive club reserved for members who sponsor a minimum of 6 new members into BNI for the period of 2010 to November 2014.

National Director, Frederick Marcoux, was on hand to share his wisdom via a feature presentation and of course assist with handing out the awards.

The event was organised by the wonderful team of local BNI Gold Coast Directors & Ambassadors; Peter Fitzgerald, Gayle McKew, Jane Taylor and Ilona Teremi.

BNI Gold Coast Region Directors Team with National Director Frederick Marcoux

The most you have all been waiting for…. and the winners are;

Chapter Of The Year – BNI Hub

Notable Networker for the Gold Coast – Elle Osborne

Most Improved Chapter – BNI Infinity

Notable Networker Of The Year (Chapter Award)

• Beachside – Elle Osborne
• Chambers – Jeannine Devenport
• Eagle – Rory Curtis
• Hub – Erin Ridley
• Infinity – Carolyn Hodge
• Neptune – Jenny Godfrey
• Paradise – Jason Wood
• Pinnacle – Kaeren Smith
• Professional Partners – Neil Moxey
• Venus – Amanda Van Den Broek

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) Chapter Award

• Beachside – Ilona Teremi
• Chambers – Mark Pogson
• Eagle – Belinda Dinsey
• Elite – Amanda Thomas
• Hub – Steven Halligan
• Infinity – Carolyn Hodge
• Neptune – Gerard Sangston
• Paradise – Jason Wood
• Pinnacle – Jeannie Anderson
• Professional Partners – Cameron Findlay
• Venus – Sharyn Watson

Gold Club Members 

• Joe Steele – Beachside – 12
• Ilona Teremi – Beachside – 10
• Amanda Van Den Broek – Venus – 9
• Neil Moxey – Professional Partners – 7
• Jeannie Anderson – Pinnacle – 6
• Jon Dale – Pinnacle – 6
• Jeff Feltham – Paradise – 6

Be sure to visit the BNI Gold Coast Region Facebook Page for photos from the day.

Some time ago I was given a referral by the financial planner in our BNI Alpha group, James Brennan. This lead was very promising and lead to further opportunities.

After seeing the customer he was extremely pleased with my service and I referred him to the conveyancer in Alpha, Valerie Dries, to assist with the transaction. The settlement amount was $232,000. Once his loan had settled he referred me to a colleague of his. I also helped her with a purchase and again referred to the BNI conveyancer who assisted with the purchase. This client’s loan was $371k.

The client continued to further refer me to two more colleagues and a friend. The total settlements for that referred business was $2,145,114. Her friend then further referred me to his room-mates and whilst they have not yet purchased this deal is ongoing and will proceed.

As you can see the original referral was a small loan size but not to be sneezed at, as that one transaction resulted in total business thus far of nearly three million dollars plus the conveyancing work for the conveyancer in our group.

I joined BNI as I wanted trusted business partners that I could refer and know that they would give my clients the same care as I would if they were to refer me business.

Kim Narayan, Mortgage Choice, Parramatta. BNI Alpha (Parramatta)

BNI Sydney CBD South recently held its annual Red Carpet Business Breakfast. Hosted by Bob and Louise Greenup, the Executive Directors of BNI Sydney CBD South, the Red Carpet Awards honour the outstanding dedication and contributions of the top regional chapters plus individual members.

Member of the Year

The award for Member of the Year is always almost feverishly anticipated.

The title is not easily come by: to win the recipient must have had the highest “CATS” score amongst all members in the region for the previous calendar year. CATS stands for Chapter Accountability Tracking System, and tracks their participation levels including attendance, one-to-ones, visitors and the closed business generated for other members.

So who would be the winner for the past year?

Kieron Hewitt – Member of the Year 2013

In the end, an impressive CATS score of 5,630 – driven by a strong alignment with BNI culture and generating over $5 million in business for other members – secured Kieron Hewitt from BNI CBD Enterprise the top individual award.

Congratulations, Kieron!

How BNI Helped Do Better Business

We asked Kieron to tell us a bit about his BNI journey that has led him to this recent success

“For me my BNI membership is all about confidence,” Kieron says.

Kieron points out that BNI’s regular, weekly meetings with their proven systems and procedures have helped him to develop a stronger pitch.

“And I definitely developed as a business person. My BNI attendances helped me create and deliver my business development strategy with more self-assurance and conviction,” he says.

But it does not end there: Kieron has seen a steady increase in his sales pipeline and cash flow since joining BNI.

The confidence he has in his sub-consultants, suppliers and contractors – many of which are part of his BNI network – has made it possible for Kieron to deliver consistently better service to his clients.

Giving Back

And this growing confidence in himself and his business has enabled Kieron to give back to his BNI contacts and his chapter – ultimately making him Member of the Year 2013.

“This level of business confidence can take a decade to develop! But BNI has provided this for me in just 18 months,” he says.

“I have become a better sales person for all of my chapter members this way, not just for my own business. And I really enjoy being able to give back to a group of people that has helped me so much.”

BNI – A Good Choice for Business Confidence

By applying the BNI systems and procedures Kieron has been able to access more profitable repeat clients, develop efficient systems and procedures for his staff, and nurture quality relationships with his suppliers and consultants.

“If you want confidence in business within an unpredictable economic climate, I recommend joining a BNI Chapter,” says Member of the Year, Kieron Hewitt.

And his win is proof it works.

Kieron Hewitt is a member of BNI CBD Enterprise and an Associate Director of corporate interior design firm AriiSmits. His business designs and creates offices that bring expected and unexpected benefits to corporate organisations. AriiSmith counts some of Australia’s most iconic companies as its clients and has delivered in access of the delivery 1,000 projects.

Watch a short video of the Red Carpet Awards.

What do Billy Crystal and BNI Australia’s Frederick Marcoux have in common? They have both presided over prestigious awards ceremonies, of course! While the Oscars are over in a night, our BNI successes continue every day, and the BNI Australia National Conference in Sydney in June was a great chance to celebrate them.

Reflecting and Celebrating

Every year BNI members from all over Australia and the region come together at the National Conference – to learn, to share with each other, and to have fun. It’s a time to reflect on the successes of the past year and to plan for more in the year ahead, both individually and as a whole organisation.

Our BNI Stars

Part of celebrating this success is recognising the remarkable hard work and dedication of so many people across BNI. Not only do these people join us at our meetings, they also work tirelessly behind the scenes to strengthen the BNI network, from which our businesses benefit.

Helping our businesses is the BNI Directors’ business.

A Rewarding Experience

So what better way to recognise these stars of BNI than at the annual Conference Awards Dinner!

With honours across categories like ‘Innovation Excellence’ and ‘Chapters With 50-plus Members’, the depth and breadth of the knowledge, dedication and experience of our BNI Directors is clearly shown.

Thank You & Congratulations

So, to all the winners, and to those who have contributed to the great success of our chapters over the last 12 months – thank you and congratulations!

Without further ado, this year’s winners include:

• Bob and Louise Greenup, BNI All About Business – Hall of Fame, Chapter Achieving 50+ Members.
• John Williamson, BNI Synergy Mandurah – Hall of Fame, Kick Off of 35+ Members.
• Bob Greenup, BNI Best Practices – National Directors’ Givers Gain Award.
• Rob Warburton, BNI Sunshine Coast – Highest Average Number of Members per Chapter.
• Susan Petrik, BNI Melbourne CBD – Top Gross Revenue – Single Region.
• Dan Garlick, BNI Multi Media Excellence – Innovation Excellence Award.
• Paul Marcoux, BNI South Perth – Top % Increase in Members, Established Regions over 100 Members.
• Brett Emery, Central Queensland – Top % Increase in Members, New Regions.

Please join us in our congratulations and appreciation of the dedication your BNI Director and this year’s BNI Award winners continuously show – to you and to your business success.