The Queenstown Chamber of Commerce Westpac Business Excellence Awards will be held a month earlier than last year, and there are new categories.
The 2010 awards gala dinner will be held at Skyline on Friday, October 29.
Wakatipu business owners and operators have six weeks to enter.
The award categories are small business (one to 10 employees), medium business (10 to 50 employees) and large business (50 or more employees).
Sustainable business and young entrepreneur award categories had been added, chamber chief executive Ann Lockhart said.
This was because the chamber supported the Queenstown Lakes sustainable business programme and the district was known for fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, Ms Lockhart said on Friday.
"We have very good registrations of interest to date and we're looking for more," she said.
"All they need to do is look on our website and there's an entry form."
Category winners would also be in the running for the overall supreme business of the year award.
Information in entries would be known only to the judging panel and chief executive.
The judges this year are Skyline Enterprises co-director and chamber board member Jan Hunt, senior lecturer in the Department of Marketing at the University of Otago Dr John Guthrie, former managing director of American investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Alistair Nicholson, Southern Institute of Technology chief executive Penny Simmonds and Westpac business banking manager Michael Sutherland.
Announcement of the 2010 lifetime achievement award recipient was being kept as a surprise, Ms Lockhart said.
Sir Tim Wallis, of Wanaka, received the inaugural award last year.
The Minister of Finance and Clutha-Southland MP Bill English was expected to attend the gala dinner.
Guest speakers and live entertainment acts were to be confirmed, Ms Lockhart said.
Last year's rejuvenated awards night - the event had previously been held every two years - was sold out, with 350 business operators, staff and community notables attending.
Organisers anticipated a similar attendance this year.
Last year, D'Or Hair Stylists, in Arrowtown, won the small business award and Queenstown Resort College secured the medium business award.
NZSki Ltd took was the winner of the large business and supreme business of the year awards.
