Telstra has made the call to cancel its 2020 business awards in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
The award series is designed to put the spotlight on Australian small businesses achieving success across a number of categories.
The awards usually run in the latter half of the year, with state and territory winners announced between September and October in 2019. Those winners then attend a national dinner event in Melbourne in November.
However, Telstra group executive for consumer and small business, Michael Ackland, said while the telco recognised small business recognition was important, safety concerns had made the event impossible.
"It’s also important to us that our awards program offers the rewarding experience our entrants deserve, and that all events take place in a safe environment," he said.
"We appreciate the awards are an important way to recognise small businesses and want to thank everyone who took the time to enter or nominate someone in this year’s program.
Ackland said Telstra would be providing access to digital learning content normally reserved for finalists to award entrants.
"For the first time, we will be opening this content up for entrants to access via online Masterclasses, articles and exclusive educational content opportunities via our partners. We hope this content will help these businesses navigate these challenging times," he said.
The Telstra Business Awards are slated to return in 2021.
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