Product innovation is what helps to drive any global Automechanika trade fair. The announcement of the winners of the Innovation Awards has been a highlight of the Automechanika trade fair for the automotive aftermarket ever since this global brand came to South Africa in 2009.
Over the years an amazing display of local and imported products demonstrating innovation have been showcased at this show. The winners have received not only a physical award but have also been able to use this achievement in its marketing program.
The countdown has begun for the 2017 edition of Innovation Awards at Automechanika Johannesburg, which takes place at Expo Centre, Nasrec, from September 27-30. Entries close on Wednesday, July 26, so time is running out for companies to get their pioneering products highlighted at Africa’s premier automotive aftermarket event.
Wynter Murdoch, the editor of Automobil, the official journal of South Africa’s Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), has once again been tasked by the organizers of the event to drive the Innovation Awards concept.
The organizers’ aim is to find the best aftermarket products in South Africa from a selection of categories and utilize Automechanika Johannesburg as the platform to honor the pioneering prowess of each winning item.
The entries will be judged by an independent jury of automotive experts who, in defined categories, will score products considered groundbreaking from a variety of perspectives. The members of the jury will come from the ranks of local automotive and aftermarket-focused organizations including the RMI, NAACAM, NAAMSA and the automotive media.
The jury will look to uncover items that hold the promise of performing beyond expectation, that are innovative and promote efficiency, are perceived to represent good value for money, are of excellent quality and bring fresh perspectives to the OE or aftermarket segments in which they compete. Functionality, practicality, styling, benefits to users, environmental friendliness and other perceived pioneering qualities are among the specifics that jury members will be searching for.
Entries will be evaluated across a variety of automotive categories: Parts; Accessories; Automotive Systems; Diagnostics; Tuning; Repair and Maintenance; OE Products & Services; IT and Management; and Service Station & Car Wash.
If you manufacture, distribute, or supply cutting edge products in any of these categories, consider entering the Awards – the accolades are significant.
HOW TO ENTER:
Prospective entrants are invited to submit by noon on Wednesday, organisersJuly 26, photographs and a detailed description of any automotive aftermarket or OE product they have developed, manufactured, imported, or distributed in South Africa, which they deem worthy of entry into the Automechanika Johannesburg 2017 Innovation Awards.
Based on the photographs and descriptions – which must include information relating to the technical characteristics and aftermarket relevance of each product – jury members will individually rank each item.
From the returned scores, products which achieve the highest marks on a collective basis will be deemed to be finalists. Representatives of the companies whose products have been selected will be asked to submit by Wednesday, August 30, two examples of the items for physical scrutiny by jury members. Following that evaluation, the winners will be determined based on highest marks scored on a collective basis. organizers
The of Automechanika Johannesburg 2017 have arranged for exhibits of the winning products – along with those selected as runners up – to be highlighted in a separate display at the show under anInnovation Awards banner. Presentations will be made to winners at a prize-giving ceremony which will form part of the trade fair’s official opening on September 27.
If you would like to enter the Automechanika Johannesburg 2017 Innovation Awards Competition, submit by e-mail your product motivations, along with hi-resolution pictures of the items at least 1Mb in size, to wynter@thefuture.co.za
The description of each product must include its country of origin, when it was introduced to the South African market, the category of the aftermarket at which it is aimed – Parts; Accessories; Automotive Systems; Diagnostics; Tuning; Repair and Maintenance; OE Products & Services; IT and Management; Service Station & Car Wash – as well as the following:
• Perceived innovative quality;
• The solution the product aims to provide;
• Its functionality and user benefits;
• Perceived economic efficiency;
• Safety aspects it promotes;
• Environmental aspects it promotes;
• Its relevance to the aftermarket or OE sectors;
Do not forget to include with your entry your name, e-mail address and telephone numbers, along with details of the company you represent.
The names of jury members and the organisations they represent will be made public once the panel has been finalised.
If you have any queries or require more information regarding the initiative, please contact Automobil’s editor, Wynter Murdoch, at 011 803 2040 or via e-mail at wynter@thefuture.co.za.