2025 St Albans Networking Night & Business Awards: A Celebration of Community, Connection and Local Excellence
The St Albans Business Group Association proudly hosted the 2025 St Albans Networking Night and Business Awards on Friday, 17 October 2025: an evening dedicated to celebrating the incredible businesses, individuals and community spirit that make St Albans one of Melbourne’s most vibrant and diverse town centres.
Held at Le & Co Restaurant, the event brought together local traders, business owners, community leaders and sponsors for a night of networking, storytelling and heartfelt recognition.
A Warm Welcome and an Evening of Connection
Guests were welcomed by MCs Simon McCuskey and Amani, who set the tone for an evening centred around appreciation, celebration and community pride. As guests settled in, they enjoyed live background music by Daniel Mercury, a five-course dining experience, and plenty of opportunities to meet fellow business owners and build new connections.
The evening also marked the launch of the upcoming 2026 St Albans Lunar Festival, Australia’s largest Lunar New Year celebration, returning on Sunday 18 January 2026.
Acknowledging the People Behind Our Precinct
Throughout the night, we acknowledged the many individuals and organisations who contribute to the growth and success of St Albans Town Centre.
A special thank you to our 2026 Lunar Festival sponsors whose support strengthens not only this event, but the year-round vibrancy of our precinct:
Brimbank City Council, Business Victoria, CDS Recycling Victoria, Procella Insurance, Supa IGA St Albans, Westpac Bank, O'Brien Real Estate, Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association, Melbourne Airport, Aussizz, Centrecom, Australian Vietnamese Arts and Culture, Optus St Albans.
Insights and Inspiration From Guest Speakers
A crowd favourite was our conversation with Tony and Rosa Cavallaro from T. Cavallaro & Sons: known affectionately as the “Cannoli King” and “First Lady of Footscray.” They shared valuable insights into how social media transformed their family business, offering lessons in adaptability, resilience and building digital community.
Introducing the Inaugural 2025 Business Awards
This year marked the launch of the St Albans Business Awards, created to celebrate excellence across the precinct. Hundreds of local residents cast their votes across five categories, recognising businesses and individuals who continue to make a remarkable impact.
The awards were officially opened by Natalie Suleyman MP, Minister for Small Business and Member for St Albans, who also presented the Best Business Award.
We were also honoured to welcome Cr Thuy Dang, Mayor of Brimbank City Council, along with several Brimbank councillors, who joined us in celebrating and presenting awards throughout the evening. Their presence highlighted the strong partnership between local government and the business community of St Albans.
Congratulations to Our 2025 Winners:
🏆 Best Business – St Albans Market (Big Sam’s)
🏆 Food & Drink – The Runaway Pancake
🏆 Professional Service – WISE Employment
🏆 Personal Service – Shinny Star Hair Design
🏆 Local Hero – Des Sepuisone (Pacific Mix Coffee)
We extend our congratulations to all winners, finalists and nominees, your contributions shape the character, identity and success of the St Albans Town Centre.
Raffles, Prizes & Community Spirit
In between award announcements, guests enjoyed rounds of raffle draws featuring prizes proudly donated by local businesses. The lively atmosphere kept energy high, with plenty of laughter, excitement and community camaraderie.
A Night to Remember
As the formalities concluded, guests continued to mingle, reconnect and celebrate late into the night. The 2025 Networking Night and Business Awards was much more than an event; it was a tribute to the hardworking businesses, passionate individuals and shared culture that make St Albans truly special.
✨ To experience the atmosphere for yourself, don’t forget to watch the highlight video included below.
It captures the warmth, energy and community pride that filled the room.
We thank everyone who attended, supported, sponsored and contributed to this year’s event.
Your ongoing support continues to make St Albans a welcoming, authentic and thriving place to work, visit, dine and shop.
We look forward to seeing you again at the 2026 St Albans Lunar Festival.
