Nomination volumes for the 2022 routeone Awards have immediately bounced back to the level seen before the pandemic in a clear indication that the industry is keenly anticipating the return of its premier recognition ceremony on Wednesday 2 November at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
In addition, event organiser Diversified Communications UK – which is behind routeone and the co-located Euro Bus Expo – has confirmed an addition to the judging panel in former Nottingham City Transport Managing Director Mark Fowles OBE (pictured).
Mr Fowles retired from the highly respected operator in 2021. His charity work is well known, and he has raised over £125,000 for a body established by him and his wife to fund research into facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
He says: “I am so pleased to be joining the routeone Awards. Having strived for excellence during my career, I am happy now to be assessing its progress as individuals, teams and businesses push the boundaries of excellence even further.”
Mr Fowles joins existing judges Joan Aitken OBE, Richard Delahoy, Steve Dewhurst, Kevin Middleton and Peter Nash, while former Volvo Bus Product Engineering Manager Norman Thomas will also judge for the first time after agreeing to join in 2020.
The first gathering of judges will occur in mid-July. That will be followed by a second round, including interviews where necessary, in early September ahead of the presentation evening. Those industry members and businesses that have been nominated are now being encouraged to complete their entry as quickly as possible to ensure it is considered. All such submissions are handled online.
In addition, the first table bookings have been made very quickly after that process opened. With the 2022 routeone Awards marking a return of the event for the first time in over three years, demand is expected to be high.
