A Dubbo-based online ticketing company took out the city's top business award at this year's Rhino awards.
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Founder and director of 123 Tix Terry Wilcher said the win was the "icing on the cake"
A jubilant 123 Tix team led by stepped on stage to receive the Gold Rhino at the Regional Australia Bank Dubbo Chamber of Commerce Rhino Awards on Friday night.
It was a moment of celebration in stark contrast to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, when the legs were taken out from the business at the first shutdown of the events industry.
Mr Wilcher told the event attended by almost 400 people of a point where he had been uncertain about what the future held.
"The tough time with COVID has been a really really hard time for our business," he said.
"...I wasn't sure if we'd actually cope and if we'd bounce back, but with dedication and support, we were actually able to rebuild what we had."
...I wasn't sure if we'd actually cope and if we'd bounce back, but with dedication and support, we were actually able to rebuild what we had.
- 123 Tix founder and director Terry Wilcher
The 123 Tix team viewed the pandemic as a positive rather than a negative.
"Yes, financially we took a massive hit, along with everybody else in the events industry, but we decided there were either two paths to take," Mr Wilcher said.
"One was to be a victim of COVID.
"One was to beat COVID, regardless of whether we actually caught the virus itself, and come out on the other side of the virus, bigger and better.
"We decided we wanted to come out bigger and better than the virus, and take on the giants even more, which we have successfully done in many cases."
Mr Wilcher paid tribute to wife Caroline for her support and made special mention of his team.
"Awards are great to have, but a team I have that work around me every day is more important to me than any award that we achieve," he said.
He encouraged businesses "struggling or wondering how they can survive next week" to surround themselves with "good people, which I have, to achieve great things".
The win was dedicated to the students of Macquarie Anglican Grammar School, who in 2014 were planning a school musical, from which the "idea of growing a ticketing company in regional NSW was born".
"Without that school where my children... still attend, 123 Tix would not have started, so I thank those children and the teachers at that time for allowing us to create a very successful ticketing company that takes on the giants," Mr Wilcher said.
In an interview with the Daily Liberal, the new winner said he was "stoked".
"It's the icing on the cake, and there are businesses in there tonight that are more successful than us, they're more deserving of the award," Mr Wilcher said.
"But to be given the award, to be now part of 25 years of businesses that I look up to and respect and have always desired to be as good as them, to be put in that category is a little bit surreal.
"I don't work hard to win awards, I work hard to be the best person I can and do the best I can, and that's all I can ask."
The business also won two silver Rhinos - the Dubbo RSL Memorial Club Award for Excellence in Innovation and The Exchange Dubbo Award for Excellence in Microbusiness.
In 2021, 123 Tix integrated the Discover NSW vouchers program into its platform, opening up options for customers.
Postponed from its original October date, the biggest award of the Rhinos was announced by 2021 president Matt Wright, with new president Errin Williamson standing beside him.
An independent panel of judges decided the awards and the Gold Rhino went to the business with the most points across all categories and had been a tight contest, he said.
This year's winner has bold plans to successfully take on the multinationals in their industry.
- 2021 chamber president Matt Wright
"This year's winner has bold plans to successfully take on the multinationals in their industry," Mr Wright said.
"They set ambitious targets and outlined a clear plan to win over customers by providing a more personalised customer experience based in the region.
"They're a true example of a business that had to show resilience during COVID, with their entire industry heavily impacted.
"They used the time to improve their customer experience so they could come back bigger and stronger, which they most certainly have.
"Their ability to collect and analyse their data and then use it to improve their service... make them a standout this year."