Orange’s Chamber of Commerce says it is happy to see the CGU Orange Outstanding Business Awards 2008 awards dinner has sold out before tickets even had a chance to go on sale to the public.

“In these trying times it’s good to see business has enough confidence in themselves not to let all of this economic turmoil get to them,” Chamber president Jeff Whitton said.

The chamber sent invitations to all awards finalist but the uptake was so strong the 480-seat dinner was declared a sell-out a week before tickets were due to go on sale to the public.

Mr Whitton attributed the increase in interest to a change of format which has seen the awards switch from people’s choice awards to a professionally judged competition.

“Before it tended to be dominated by retail or businesses with high traffic,” Chamber of Commerce executive assistant Janelle Taylor said.

The introduction of independent judges and greater input from nominees has seen the awards attain a higher level of prestige, Mr Whitton said.

“This time the business have to put forward submissions about themselves and their business ... it lets the business themselves put a lot of thought into what they have achieved,” he said.

Guest master of ceremonies, Channel Nine’s Ken Sutcliffe, was also suggested as a reason for the popularity of this year’s awards.

The awards will be held at the Orange Ex-Services’ Club on Saturday, November 1.