South Shore CVA recognizes and awards excellence in hospitality and customer service at 20th annual R.O.S.E. and R.I.S.E Awards ceremony

Any successful business takes a dedicated team to bring it all together. Thanks to South Shore CVA’s Recognition of Service Excellence (R.O.S.E) and Recognition of Industry Success (R.I.S.E) Awards ceremony, the people who pour effort into every ounce of their work were able to be recognized and awarded.

Held at the Hard Rock Casino in Gary, Indiana, South Shore CVA’s annual R.O.S.E and R.I.S.E Awards hit a milestone 20 years of recognizing excellence within the community, as hundreds of business owners, employees, and representatives came together to celebrate one another.

The R.O.S.E Awards were created to recognize what the South Shore CVA refers to as “‘directors of first impressions” — the forward facing employees of businesses and facilities in the Region who make customers’ visits exceptional. Guests or managers may nominate an employee who they feel go that extra mile.

R.I.S.E nominees are managerial employees, or past R.O.S.E winners, who take that extra step and carry it further, taking customer service to the next level.

This year is special, as it marks 20 years of the R.O.S.E and R.I.S.E awards, and everyone is excited to welcome in two decades of acknowledging and celebrating the people who make the Region an incredible place to live.

“This is the 20th year we’ve hosted this event. It’s one of my favorite events every single year to celebrate all the individuals in the hospitality and tourism industry that go above and beyond for Northwest Indiana. But this is the 20th year, so it is special,” said Phil Taillon, CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.

Over these past 20 years, there have been over a thousand finalists in the history of the awards ceremony. Tonight, there were 40 finalists, but only 15 recipients took home awards, with five of them receiving the R.O.S.E award, and six receiving the R.I.S.E award.

While not everyone received an award, all finalists had the option to enjoy a pre-ceremony event, where they chose from a pampering session at the Bloom Boutique Salon in Schererville, or an afternoon of play at Public Bar and Rec in Crown Point.

Regardless of what finalists chose, a limo brought them to the Hard Rock Casino in time for the ceremony. All attendees were able to enjoy a cocktail reception, and a welcome toast, delivered by Phil Taillon.

“This year, we want everybody to be involved with this toast because every single one of us is here to celebrate somebody in this room. So if you could raise your glass, here’s to all of the finalists for the R.O.S.E and R.I.S.E Awards. It’s because of you that tourism in Northwest Indiana is thriving,” said Taillon.

Guests mingled while they enjoyed dinner, shortly before the awards program itself began. During which Taillon recognized other R.O.S.E and R.I.S.E finalists who may not have received the award, yet still had their moment of due acknowledgement and applause.

Tonight’s R.O.S.E Award recipients were Elizabeth Gutierrez, Jimmie King, Joe Smit, Tijana Vojinovic, and Tracy Gormley, followed by R.I.S.E Award recipients were Brandi Jones, Jovany Santacruz, Liz Pritchard, Marsha Plesac, Julie Stutler, and Lucas Newell.

The R.O.S.E and R.I.S.E Awards continue to be a way of honoring and giving back to those who pour themselves into the community, and each nominee, finalist, and award recipient was given their opportunity to be appreciated for their service. The night would not have been possible without them.

“The nominations and awards tell them that they are doing an amazing job in whatever role that they are in. That they have been going above and beyond, and because of that, tourism in Northwest Indiana is thriving,”  Taillon said. “And I will tell them tonight during our speech that if it wasn’t for them, South Shore Tourism couldn’t do what we do. So it is really a special night, and it really is important to congratulate all of these individuals for what they have accomplished, and we’re extremely excited to do that.”

It’s also thanks to the dedication of a committee of volunteers and sponsors that the awards program has gone strong for 20 years.

Find more information about the South Shore CVA and the awards here.