SUNSTAR’S Best of Cebu celebrated five years last night with a party in the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. The by-invitation-only event, presented by Organique and AirAsia, drew guests from all over Metro Cebu who filled the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront, Best of Cebu’s venue partner for this year.
Over 60 of the best products and brands from 2017’s selection set up booths in the venue, as party-goers were treated to an array of food, drinks, lifestyle products, and services.
With the event theme being “Pop Culture of Cebu,” a grand mural was displayed in the venue that aimed to capture the essence of the Queen City and its people. The artwork was the result of a collaboration between Best of Cebu and students of Southwestern University Phinma’s School of Design + Communications. To keep the party going, there was live music from local performers and special prizes raffled throughout the course of the evening.
Consistency
Already on its fifth year, Best of Cebu recognized the 10 Grand Slam winners during the party on the main stage. Grand Slam winners are defined as those brands that have won an award in the same or similar category for three years.
Last night’s honors went to Crimson Resort & Spa (Best Resort, Best Resort Hotel), Ibiza Beach Club at Movenpick Resort (Best Outdoor Dining Experience), Feria at Radisson Blu Cebu (Best Dinner Buffet, Best Buffet and Best Premium Buffet), Isla Sugbo Seafood Restaurant (Best Seafood Restaurant), Rustan’s Fresh (Best Gourmet Supermarket), Everything Yummy (Best Pork Chop), Shabu-Shabu Red Taiwan (Best Shabu-Shabu), Yoga Hub (Best Yoga Place), Mooshi (Best Juice Bar), and Big Toto (Best Gadget Repair Shop).
“Consistency is key. A brand or product must maintain over the years the same level of excellence and value for money that clients or customers have come to love and know. Coming up with a great product is one thing. Keeping that product great is another,” said SunStar Weekend Best of Cebu editor Noel Villaflor about what it takes for a Best of Cebu brand to win a Grand Slam title.
With the success and growth of Best of Cebu, numerous local businesses have expressed their interest in showcasing their products or services as well so as to compete for the annual recognition.
“With so many products in the market, it is essential for brands to have presence, more so if they create a buzz, a real one coming from customers. Satisfied customers would be more than willing to get the word out, whether by social media or good old word of mouth. Rest assured that the Best of Cebu team is always on the lookout for nominees across several categories, which we regularly announce on print and online. At times, all it takes is one nomination for us to take notice and make a product a Best of Cebu contender,” explained Villaflor.
SunStar’s Best of Cebu 2018 special issue will come out in December 2018.