Refresh brought this year’s conference back to where it all began, New Zealand.
Unlike most businesses, which start off overseas and then move to New Zealand, Refresh first launched in New Zealand then successfully moved to Australia and the UK, proving that the Refresh model works globally.
Having the 2017 Annual Refresh Conference at the stunning Millbrook resort in Queenstown, held a strongly symbolic meaning for the Refresh business.
This year’s theme, “Power Up” was about learning new ways to grow your business to the next level, successfully and efficiently.
The conference was of great value to all the franchisees. “[This year’s] conference [was] an invaluable experience for us, where we could learn lots of new things can that can help us build our business”, said Jim and Del Gleeson, Auckland franchise owners.
A major highlight of the conference was the Annual Awards Dinner where eight awards were presented for the following categories:
2017 Renovation Consultant of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The Renovation Consultant of the Year award recognises the importance of turning leads into revenue. It also considers the importance of building long term value in the business through a strong pipeline.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Conversion rate
- Execution of the Refresh process
- Pipeline
- Customer satisfaction
- Revenue
The finalists were:
Brett Lahood - (employed by Tim Walters)
Charmaine Davis - (employed by Lia Boersma)
Congratulations to Charmaine Davis, who is based in Wellington, for winning Renovation Consultant of the Year.
2017 Administrator of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The Administrator of the Year award recognises the value of the administration function and how it sets the platform for a Franchise Manager to grow a successful business.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Completion and accuracy of data
- On time completion of monthly activities and reports
- Strong supporter and commitment to the IT system
- Understanding and commitment to the Refresh business model
The finalists were:
Nicole Wood - (employed by Little Emperor Ltd)
Awhina Kopu-Lowerson - (employed by Del & Jim Gleeson)
Congratulations to Awhina Kopu-Lowerson, who is based in Auckland, for winning Administrator of the Year. Jim Gleeson, accepted the award on her behalf at the Refresh conference.
2017 Customer Service of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The Customer Service of the Year award recognises the Franchise that has excelled at delivering the Refresh offer, and has been verified by direct customer feedback.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Customer Testimonials
- Feedback to Franchisor
- Net Promoter Score
The finalists were:·
Nielen Prince
Wayne Gordon
Nick Leko
Congratulations to Wayne Gordon, who is based in Manawatu, for winning Customer Service of the Year.
Here are some examples of his customer testimonials:
“We are thrilled with the outcome”
“There has been no task to big or too small for Wayne’’
"I would like to thank the team for all the magnificent work you did for me last year”
“Thanks for making the process so easy for me”
“It was a real pleasure working with you"
“Right from the beginning, communication was excellent.”
“They went the extra mile”
2017 New Franchise of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The New Franchise of the Year award recognises outstanding new Franchisees who are helping to build the future of Refresh.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Started in 2016
- Revenue since starting
- Adherence to the Refresh process
- Hiring of key people
- Strong pipeline
- Pro-active marketing
The finalists were:
Nielen Prince - (SA, Aust)
Stephen Cox - (Central Coast NSW, Aust)
Gerard O’Connor - (QLD, Aust)
Congratulations to Stephen Cox, who is based in Central Coast, for winning New Franchise of the Year.
2017 Franchise of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The Franchise of the Year award the Franchise who is best using marketing, people and processes to scale up their business towards a successful future.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Has managed and motivated a well functioning team of staff and contractors.
- Beating sales and profit targets.
- Has developed strong relationships with preferred suppliers.
- High level of marketing activity and a well developed sales pipeline.
- Customer satisfaction and reviews.
The finalists were:
Jim & Del Gleeson
Dave Georgetti
Lia Boersma
Nick Leko
This year’s winner and his motivated team not only took this year’s Franchise of the Year celebrated title but also took home Construction Manager of the Year and Best Marketer of the Year. Congratulations to Nick Leko and his team from Refresh Wellington!
2017 Marketer of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The Marketer of the Year award recognises the Franchise who is best using marketing to scale up their business towards a successful future.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Annual marketing investment Jan-Dec 2016
- Has undertaken regular and frequent activities including Google Adwords and other initiatives
- Has represented the brand well in conjunction with Head Office
The finalists were:
Diana May
Lia Boersma
Nick Leko
Congratulations to Nick Leko, who is based in Wellington, for winning Marketer of the Year.
2017 Sales Growth of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The Sales Growth of the Year award recognises the Franchise that has applied Refresh’s unique model that is driven by sales and marketing to create scale.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Growth in sales revenue % and $ from Jan-Dec 2015 to Jan-Dec 2016
The finalists were:
Dave Georgetti - In 3rd place with 86% sales revenue in 2016
Corey Rambhai - In 2nd place with 115% sales revenue in 2016
Lia Boersma - In 1st place with 505% sales revenue in 2016
Congratulations to Lia Boersma, who is based in Wellington, for winning Sales Growth of the Year.
2017 Construction Manager of the Year
The 2017 Refresh Annual Awards Dinner presented eight awards recognising the achievement of our people and businesses across the key areas that drive success.
The Construction Manager of the Year award recognises the delivery of our promise of on time, on budget, hassle free renovations, resulting in satisfied Refresh customers.
The judging criteria for this award was:
- Delivery of budgeted margin percentage
- Customer satisfaction
- Planning and estimating accuracy
The finalists were:
Kane Larritt - (employed by Del & Jim Gleeson)
Brian Taylor - (employed by Wayne Gordon)
Danielle Hrstich - (employed by Nick Leko)
Congratulations to Danielle Hrstich, who is based in Wellington, for winning Construction Manager of the Year.
An interesting conversation at each conference has been where to hold the next one. With Refresh expanding globally, the 2018 conference will be an exciting time for Refresh franchisees to meet their global counterparts and see how much everyone's business has grown since the last one!