Last night, I attended the Connecticut Technology Council’s Tech Top 40 Awards at the Chevrolet Theater.  It was set up like the Oscar awards, replete with a red carpet (though a little short on well-known stars).

But what it lacked in star power, it more than made up for with energy and innovation. The awards recognize the fasted growing companies in Connecticut in six technology categories, with a "Best in Show" picked from the best of the best.

This year, a small company out of Vernon, Connecticut named Ticket Software LLC picked up the award.  TicketNetwork is the world’s leading provider of real-time ticket inventory and sells sought after tickets to concert, sporting and theater events through North America.  It uses leading-edge technology for ticket buyers and sellers.

In his terrific acceptance speech, Donald Vaccaro, the founder and CEO, attributed the firm’s success to one often-overlooked element: Human Resources.  He indicated that he and his team look for people smarter than himself and then makes sure that they are part of a team when hired. Indeed, in speaking with some excited employees informally afterwards, they indicated that the hiring process involves nearly day-long interviews with multiple people.

For all of the talk about how businesses need a good product to grow, hiring the right people remains an often-overlooked part of a company’s success.  Good hiring decisions mean that there is less likelihood of discipline or performance issues, and less likelihood that costly employee lawsuits will arise.

In this economy, it’s nice to hear about one small, but growing Connecticut company that has found a recipe for success.