The road to success starts here: It’s time for the industry to identify the best of the best for the ever-popular routeone Awards
The date is set and the wheels are in motion for Diversified Communications to deliver the routeone Awards – the number one event of the year. But first, we need your nominations for the 16 categories.
Using the form on page 9, the supply side of the industry – manufacturers, dealers, suppliers – is invited to name those who deserve to be identified as potential winners. The deadline for nominations is 13 April.
Celebration
Last November routeone welcomed 801 industry guests to the 12th routeone Awards.
Yet again it was a capacity audience. Indeed, it was sold out two months in advance, confirming this event’s status as the major coach and bus industry awards evening.
The routeone Awards is for those who have been judged as the best in the industry. But it is equally an opportunity for everyone in the coach and bus industry to celebrate its successes. That’s why our presentation evening is such a high-profile event with a top-level presenter and top-notch entertainment.
It was with great pleasure that we welcomed back Steph McGovern, who has been a very popular Awards host for the past three years.
Steph fully deserved a very warm reception, as did the highly-acclaimed comedian Marcus Brigstocke when he took to the stage to round off the evening.
Recognition
The routeone Awards is our way of extending support to the industry and is specifically designed to reward operators.
For the winners, there’s the kudos that flows from being recognised by the industry as being the best in the business. There’s a trophy and certificate presented at an event guaranteed to win maximum national exposure.
Winners in previous years have not been slow to take advantage of the opportunity to promote their success through their local media, and then throughout the year on their vehicles, letterheads, brochures, etc. Winning really does present invaluable marketing opportunities that can only boost their business.
Starting now
The road to success for our 2017 winners starts here, allowing sufficient time for nomination, shortlisting and final judging.
It’s a process that out of necessity ensures that entry information is comprehensive, the judging meticulous and the results credible.
Among the 16 categories there are 10 for operators and five for people, while, new this year are two Best Use of Technology categories.
Introduced in response to the rapidly growing influence of new technology on virtually every aspect of coach and bus operation, these new awards will recognise operators who have tangible proof of ways in which the use of the latest technology has helped them deliver high quality coach or bus services.
Your nominations are in complete confidence and they will help decide who will be put forward as finalists in this year’s routeone Awards.
Excellence is the by-word and the aim, as always, is to identify and reward the best operators and people in all sectors.
It’s only through nomination that an operator stands any chance of being a finalist. Although nominations are invited from manufacturers, dealers and suppliers, nominations for the ‘people’ categories – i.e. Manager (small/medium and large), Engineer (small/medium and large) and Special Award – are welcome either from third party recommendation, or by self-nomination endorsed by your managing director or business proprietor.
The categories are:
1. Operator Training Award
2. Manager of the Year, small/medium operator (up to 200 vehicles)
3. Manager of the Year, large operator (over 200 vehicles)
4. Engineer of the Year, small/medium operator (up to 200 vehicles)
5. Engineer of the Year, large operator (over 200 vehicles)
6. Best Use of Technology (up to 200 vehicles)
7. Best Use of Technology (over 200 vehicles)
8. Environment Award
9. Excellence in Minibus Operation
10. Small Coach Operator of the Year (1-15 vehicles)
11. Small Bus Operator of the Year (1-100 vehicles)
12. Medium Coach Operator of the Year (16-50 vehicles)
13. Medium Bus Operator of the Year (101-200 vehicles)
14. Large Coach Operator of the Year (over 50 vehicles)
15. Large Bus Operator of the Year (over 200 vehicles)
16. Special Award
Next stage
Once the nominations close on 13 April all nominees will be asked to complete an entry form with information that will enable the panel of judges to determine the shortlists when they meet in June.
These finalists will then be invited to submit detailed supplementary information before the final decisions on the winners are made in August.
In the event of the judges needing further evidence, they will arrange to either visit or interview finalists.
The judges
The five-man judging panel is chaired by former routeone Editor Mike Morgan and includes Steve Dewhurst, Chris Heaps, Tony Kennan, Peter Nash, and Kevin Wood.
Mike Morgan steered routeone from its launch in 2003 to its market-leading position when he stepped down in 2014. He launched the routeONE Awards in 2005.
Steve Dewhurst was Managing Director of Volvo Bus for eight years until he retired in 2013. This is his third year as a judge.
Chris Heaps is a long-standing routeone Awards judge. From 1997 to 2000 he was the Traffic Commissioner for the Western Traffic Area, moving to the South Eastern & Metropolitan Traffic Area between 2000 and 2007.
Tony Kennan continues as a judge for a fifth year. He was one of the founding directors of The Proudmutual Transport Group, which was established on 6 March 1987 with a view to acquiring parts of the privatised National Bus Company.
Peter Nash is now in his sixth year as a judge. Formerly Commercial Director of Busways Travel Services Ltd, sold to Stagecoach in 1994, in 1999 he became Head of Commercial Policy for Stagecoach UK Bus.
Kevin Wood spent his working life in coach sales, spending the last 25 years with Plaxton at Scarborough. He was a member of the management buyout team that saved Plaxton in the wake of parent company Mayflower going into administration in 2004. Plaxton was subsequently sold to Alexander Dennis and Kevin became Sales Director until taking partial retirement in 2014. This is his second year as a routeone Awards judge.
Celebration
The routeone Awards 2017 gala presentation evening is on 4 October in the Monarch Suite at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel adjacent to the NEC, Birmingham. Timed to coincide with this year’s PSV industry show – Coach & Bus UK at the NEC on 4-5 October – the Awards is the perfect high-profile and proven event for the industry to celebrate achievements and excellence.
It will again be a spectacular celebration that will live up to the enviable reputation the event has earned over the past 12 years as simply the best of its kind. It’s no wonder that each year the routeone Awards has been a sell-out event weeks before, filling to capacity the Hilton Birmingham Metropole’s largest function room. This year promises to be no exception.
Number one
Making its debut in 2005 and now in its 13th year, the routeone Awards is firmly established as the number one event in the coach and bus industry calendar.
For an operator, there are three steps to winning. First, the industry must nominate you. Second, you must be shortlisted by the judges. Third, you must convince the judges that you are the best.
As an individual manager or engineer there are also three steps, and three possible routes to nomination. In addition to being recommended by the supply side of the industry, you can be brought to the attention of the judges by a nomination endorsed by your managing director or business proprietor. There’s also the prospect or your name emerging through your company’s submission for one of the ‘operator’ awards.
For further information and to nominate visit www.routeoneawards.com
The Awards
Operator Training Award
This category is for the operator that demonstrates ways in which excellent training produces measurable results.
Manager of the Year, small/medium operator (up to 200 vehicles)
This category is for the person who excels in their managerial role within a small or medium-sized coach and/or bus operation.
Manager of the Year, large operator (over 200 vehicles)
This category is for the person whose proven managerial abilities place them above their peers within large coach and/or bus operations.
Engineer of the Year, small/medium operator (up to 200 vehicles)
This category is for the skilled engineer who clearly contributes to their small or medium-sized operator’s success.
Engineer of the Year, large operator (over 200 vehicles)
This category is for an excellent engineer who also excels as a manager of people while also demonstrably contributing to their large operator’s success.
Best Use of Technology (up to 200 vehicles)
This category recognises high-level success where a small/medium operator produces quantifiable benefits for their business and their passengers through the introduction of new technology.
Best Use of Technology (over 200 vehicles)
This category recognises high-level success where a large operator produces quantifiable benefits for their business and their passengers through the introduction of new technology.
Environment Award
This category is for an operator with an exceptional commitment to a green agenda.
Excellence in Minibus Operation
This category is for an operator whose minibus fleet is exemplary in every respect.
Small Coach Operator of the Year (1-15 vehicles)
This category is for the coach operator that is small but perfectly formed, demonstrating excellence in every aspect of their business.
Small Bus Operator of the Year (1-100 vehicles)
This category is for the bus operator that punches above its weight, demonstrating that excellence is the road to success.
Medium Coach Operator of the Year (16-50 vehicles)
This category is for the coach operator that provides excellence at every turn for its customers, its staff and for financial return.
Medium Bus Operator of the Year (101-200 vehicles)
This category is for the bus operator with exceptional on-the-road performance, providing exemplary service by every measure.
Large Coach Operator of the Year (over 50 vehicles)
This category is for the best of the cream of British coach operators, setting standards for others to aspire to.
Large Bus Operator of the Year (over 200 vehicles)
This award is for the bus operator who best demonstrates that size really does matter, proving that passengers really do benefit when a large operator provides bus services.
Special Award
This award is for the person who is judged to have made a very special contribution to the industry.
