Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber announces 2014 Blue Ribbon Award winners

Thursday night’s 7th Annual Blue Ribbon Awards was the largest yet with over 300 guests in attendance as individuals and businesses were recognized for their exemplary services, products and programs in the South Shore community. Produced by the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, also known as TahoeChamber, this prestigious awards program solicited nominations for six categories and eight total awards.

Over 175 nominations were received and 95 of those nominated joined their peers at the Nov. 13 awards ceremony at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.

Networking sponsors Inn by the Lake, Tahoe Bowl and MontBleu supported the cocktail hour that kicked off festivities with champagne hand passed to attendees. The reception was immediately followed by a delicious three-course meal prepared by Harrah’s culinary team.

Masters of Ceremony, Jason Collin and Ted Johanson, kept the mood light and fun as they recognized the nominees in attendance and presented the awards to the 2014 winners. The award winners receive special recognition on TahoeChamber.org and special signage for their place of business while the customer service award winners receive a special “stay-cation” package of their choosing.

The following are the winners for the 7th Annual Blue Ribbon Awards.

Experience Award – Sponsored by Marriott Grand Residence & Vacation Club
Winner: Blue Sky Events. This is your one stop event planning and production business. They cater to the needs of their clients by personalizing every event to fit the needs of the business and the attendees. Large local businesses continually use Blue Sky Events to fill their event production needs. Their production team utilizes live music, jugglers, ice carvers, celebrity athletes, fireworks and the use of a Gondola car in place of traditional New Year’s Eve ball to entertain locals and visitors from all over the world. Each event created by Blue Sky Events is a unique experience that will be remembered for years to come.
Honorable Mention: Ciera Steak & Chop House

Tourism Award – Sponsored by Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Winner: Tahoe Sport Fishing. This outfit does a spectacular job of offering visitors and locals a true South Shore experience. With a fleet of eight boats they can accommodate parties of all sizes, groups, and special occasions all year round. Tahoe Sport Fishing has partnered with local restaurants to truly complete their client’s fishing experience. If guests wish to taste what they have just reeled in, they can bring their ketch in to these restaurants and have it professionally prepared for them by local chefs.
Honorable Mention: Getaway Reno/Tahoe

Geotourism Award – Sponsored by El Dorado County
Winner: Lake of the Sky Outfitters. Lake of the Sky Outfitters is a hikers and backpackers informational hub. Their backpackers lounge provides a place for Pacific Crest Trail hikers to relax and recoup while also providing them resources to better help them follow leave no trace practices. Just this year alone, over 550 Pacific Crest Trail hikers have passed through the doors of Lake of the Sky Outfitters. The shop serves as a gateway to South Tahoe and our amenities. With the inception of their Trail Angels program, hikers can get rides in to town to restock supplies and then a ride back to the trailhead after a day or two of rest.
Honorable Mention: South Tahoe Stand Up Paddle

Entrepreneur Award – Sponsored by Getaway Reno/Tahoe
Winner: Brandi Brown, Tahoe Production House. Tahoe Production House has given a working space to those individuals and businesses that need access to a fully equipped production studio. Space and equipment is available to meet any audio, visual or photography production need. Brandi opened Tahoe Production house during the toughest of economic times but has continued to grow and expand in despite of those challenges. Tahoe Production House is able to keep their rates competitive while continually providing top quality production.
Honorable Mention: Brian and Angela Luke, Artemis Mediterranean Grill

Customer Service Award – Sponsored by Heavenly & Kirkwood Mountain Resorts
Winner: Bob Trim, Friday’s Station. Bob’s philosophy on customer service is “treat people as you like to be treated and then go the extra mile.” Bob goes the extra mile by really getting to know his guests and his team. He is quoted as saying “a good reliable team is half the battle; on second thought, it’s all the battle!” After celebrating his 50th anniversary with Harrah’s just last year, Bob continues to go above and beyond. Bob believes that in order to provide the most quality service you truly have to be an ambassador for the business you represent. His outlook on service and business has recently won him the Food and Beverage Employee of the Year from the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association.
Honorable Mention: Matt Smithermier, Eloise Automotive & Alignment

Public Agency Service – Sponsored by Tahoe Supply Company
Winner: Eric Guevin, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District. In his position as Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshall, Eric is required to draw hard lines and follow strict enforcement policies. He does this with a humorous, respectful and empathic style that even when disclosing bad news leaves those that he is working with feeling at ease. No matter the situation, Eric always keeps a level head and leads his teams to do the same. Being employed in a highly stressful and dangerous line of work always presents its challenges and Eric faces those challenges with his many years of knowledge and unmatched integrity.
Honorable Mention: Chris Stanley, South Tahoe Public Utility District

Large Green Business – Sponsored by Cardinale Way Toyota
Winner: Lake Tahoe Cruises | Zephyr Cove Resort. As one of the first large businesses on the South Shore to implement a full composting program, Lake Tahoe Cruises and Zephyr Cove Resort have been a leader in green practices for many years. With a full recycling program in place, the resort compacts its own cardboard and properly disposes all batteries, computers, electronics and oil. Just last year the restaurant at Zephyr Cove Resort underwent a full remodel. Logs that were downed from the Spooner Summit area, where they operate a snowmobile operation, were used in the remodel instead of being tossed away. The restaurant also sources local products and adheres to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch purchasing program.
Honorable Mention: Sierra-at-Tahoe

The Wendell Award for a Small Green Business – Sponsored by South Tahoe Refuse & Recycling
Winner: Connie’s Clothesline. By accepting and sourcing used clothes, accessories, house hold items, and furniture and then displaying these items in a creative way to sell; Connie’s keeps things out of the waste stream and back in to the hands of savvy consumers. All items in Connie’s Clothesline have been owned by at least one person before it makes its way in to the shop. These pre-owned items have been carefully sourced by Connie’s fashionable eye, making it one of the best places to sustainably enhance your wardrobe on the South Shore.
Honorable Mention: Base Camp Pizza

TahoeChamber thanks Harrah’s for hosting the Blue Ribbon Awards, as well as our generous event sponsors Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and the South Tahoe Alliance of Resorts. TahoeChamber would also like to thank this year’s South Shore Sponsors Wells Fargo and Harrah’s/Harveys Lake Tahoe and the Blue Business Sponsors Lakeside Inn, Winters Construction Group, Nichols Consulting Engineers, Liberty Utilities, Barton Health and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. Thanks to our media sponsors KRLT/KOWL, Lake Tahoe TV and Tahoe Daily Tribune. Lastly, we’d like to say congratulations to all of the Blue Ribbon Award winners, both past and present.