By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK The final call is now on for nominations for the Top Business Communicator of the Year, which ends this coming Friday. The deadline for nominations was officially announced at a press conference in Windhoek yesterday by the three main sponsors, namely, Bank Windhoek, Metropolitan Namibia and PRO-Image. Each sponsoring company is providing an amount of N$45 000, totalling an overall N$135 000 for hosting the upcoming prestigious award. The Namibia Business Communicator of the Year 2006, together with the Best Public Relations Programme, Best Spokespersons in the Private and Public Sectors and winner in the Business Orators League for Secondary Schools will all be awarded at a gala event on Friday February 23rd this year in Windhoek. Owner of PRO-Image Riaan van Rooyen said the upcoming event in three weeks’ time draws attention to the importance of effective and efficient communication in the business sector. Thus nominations are being sought for those candidates that carry these notable and exemplary skills in the wide spectrum of communications in both the private and public sectors. “It’s a tough competition and for the judges as well. We already have several nominations for categories in both the public and private sectors,” said Van Rooyen, adding that by looking at the previous winners of this renowned award one can see it has grown from strength to strength. “During the last five years there’s been a huge awareness and an upward spiral of professionalism in the communications sector. In the past we had to fight for recognition, but now managers are even pushing those in communications and public relations to do a proper job based on professionalism,” added Van Rooyen. It becomes apparent that with this prestigious accolade now being awarded for the 5th consecutive year, this has created immense recognition for the country’s top business people who have excelled in using communication tools in their respective businesses. Among them are former Head of Nampower Dr Leake Hangala who scooped the Top Business Communicator of the Year Award in 2002, Trustco International Group’s Quinton van Rooyen in 2003, Managing Director of Namdeb Namibia Inge Zaamwani in 2004 and both Kurt Johannessen, who formerly headed the Cancer Association of Namibia and Jerry Muadinohamba of the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, who jointly scooped the award in 2005. Now the competition is on for the 2006 Top Business Communicator of the Year where names will also be selected from those submitted by different media houses. Addressing journalists at the press conference of the launch, Public Relations Practitioner of Metropolitan Namibia ElsabÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚© Horn said, “Communication is the backbone of any business to grow your organisation and make it work effectively and efficiently, therefore through such an award we are looking for such people who excel in communications.” Sharing the same view Head of Corporate communications and Social Investment at Bank Windhoek, Helene Badenhorst, said communication also builds and maintains strong relationships between the employer, employees and stakeholders of a given organisation. Therefore any businessperson or individual within the industry who has grown his or her business through the use of creative and innovative communication may be nominated as a Business Communicator of the Year for 2006. Judging which will take place next month will look at both internal and external communication methods and achievements, the use of creative communication methods and that person’s understanding of the role of communication within his or her work environment. One of the judges for the Best Public Relations Programme as well as a presenter at the event will be the President of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), Michael de Kock.