CBN Young Dragon Awards: Meet the candidates in the Tourism, Hotel, Leisure, Food and Beverage category

Votes are still flooding in for the public’s choice for the young entrepreneurs and professionals under the age of 40 who will be awarded as part of the newly established CBN Young Dragon Awards.

The Awards Ceremony will be taking place in Nicosia on 2 December and attendance is by invitation only.

With three finalists in each award category have selected and announced by the Awards Committee, the public can, until 26 November, still continue to cast their vote and shape the final result, contributing to and decisively determining the selection of each category's awardee. The public's vote will count on a 50%-50% scale with the Award Committee's vote.

The three finalists in the Tourism, Hotel, Leisure, Food and Beverage award category, as selected by the Awards Committee, are:

• Peter Hvass | Lead Organizer | Cyprus Comic Con
• Nikolaos Arvanitis | Manager, Events & Entertainment | Melco Resorts & Entertainment
• Litsa Charalambous | Group HR Manager | Leonardo Hotels Mediterranean

Peter Hvass

Company: Cyprus Comic Con

Position: Organiser

Peter Anders Hvass is the co-founder of Cyprus Comic Con, a dream that evolved into one of Eastern Europe's largest pop culture conventions, with over 22,000 ticketed attendees at its latest event. By day, he's the CEO of a multinational career services company, balancing serious boardroom talks with cosplay and fandoms by night. After a decade of success, Peter and his fellow co-founders are now shifting focus entirely to the events and tourism industry in Cyprus, aiming to ignite a pop culture revolution like nothing the island has seen before. It's not just business—it's a cultural uprising!

Years with the company: 10

Years in current position: 10

Nikolaos Arvanitis

Company: Melco Resorts & Entertainment

Position: Manager, Events & Entertainment

Nikolaos Arvanitis is a holder of BSc in Computer Science & Informatics, an International MBA Finance focused and is PMP certified. Hired by Melco to lead all IT related projects for Casino Marketing division at COD. After the successful accomplishment of various important projects with high business value e.g.(Carded Play, Cashless and more) he was assigned to lead the project of simulation of all operations of the Casino-Resort. All interdepartmental processes should be defined, tested, and simulated in order the operations of the property to run smoothly after the opening. The project involved more than: 1800 employees for more than 2 months of daily rehearsals, 40 different business units, 8 F&B outlets, 30 different software platforms and systems, 3500 hotel stayover, 25,000 restaurant covers, 15 live casino tournaments, 4 entertainment and leisure events, 100 different scenarios, 40 surveys, 500 questions and 6000 responses that took place. Nikolaos led the project and orchestrated the teams efficiently in many ways and finally with the effective collaboration of all, the COD open its doors to the public successfully. Currently, is leading the Entertainment department at COD from the opening of the Resort, organizing all the events, concerts, shows, and entertainment activation of all venues around the property, transforming the COD to an International Hub of Entertainment, raising awareness, and increasing the footprint of Cyprus as an Entertainment destination by driving local and international traffic to attend the most prestigious and well-known events and shows.

Years with the company: 3

Years in current position: 1

Litsa Charalambous

Company: Leonardo Hotels Mediterranean

Position: Group HR Manager

Litsa has demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication in the field of human resources. Talent: Litsa possesses an extraordinary talent for understanding and addressing the complex dynamics of human resources. She has implemented a Comprehensive Talent Management System that encompasses recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance evaluation. She introduced innovative wellness programs that have significantly improved employee health, morale, and engagement, leading to a notable decrease in absenteeism and turnover rates. Potential: Litsa is poised to take on even greater challenges and responsibilities, driving further innovation and excellence in HR practices. Contribution at Work: She has aligned HR strategies with the broader business goals, ensuring that HR contributes to the overall success of the organization.Through her efforts, employee engagement scores have significantly improved. Leadership Qualities: Inspiring and Motivating Team: She leads by example, inspiring her team with her dedication, passion, and integrity. Empathy and Inclusiveness: Litsa is known for her empathetic approach, always considering the well-being of her employees and fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued. Decisive and Strategic Thinking: Her ability to make strategic decisions and solve complex problems swiftly has earned her the respect and trust of her colleagues and senior management. Building Strong Relationships: Litsa has built strong relationships with employees at all levels, fostering a sense of community and teamwork.

Years with the company: 7

Years in current position: 7

Through the CBN Young Dragon Awards, Cyprus Business News will reward and celebrate new talents, potential and their early achievements in the business sector.

The CBN Young Dragon Awards will honour professionals/executives under the age of 40 who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, leadership and commitment to making a positive impact on their companies.

One person will receive the Dragon Award for each category, starting a new or renewed business and career path.

This year's awards ceremony is presented by Cyta Business and also supported by Punin Group and ECOMMBX, proudly highlighting the value and importance of the institution.

Those members of the public who wish to participate in the voting can only vote for one candidate per category, while you do not have to choose a candidate in all categories for your vote to be valid. You can vote via the same IP address only once.

To take part in the vote click HERE