Nominations have officially opened for Bodyshop Magazine’s two high-profile independent awards initiatives which will recognise and celebrate the crash repair industry’s highest achievers and rising stars during the Bodyshop Awards & Expo 2024 on Thursday, 19 September at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
We have once again teamed up with 3M to jointly develop and deliver Bodyshop Magazine’s ever-popular 30 Under 30: Rising Stars programme, and we will be making further announcements in the new year regarding other key partnerships for the Bodyshop Awards & Expo 2024.
Bodyshop editor Simon Wait said of 3M’s central involvement: “Our 30 Under 30 initiative is one of my personal favourites, together with the apprentice, technician and repairer awards that we run, and it clearly illustrates that the future of our industry is in in good hands. 3M’s dedication to developing and nurturing new and existing talent blends perfectly with our own vision for the industry.
“And teaming up once more with other forward-thinking organisations such as Axalta, Repairify, Thatcham Research and Remit Training will advance the UK body repair industry’s most prestigious and longest-standing independent awards to yet another exciting level.
“Next year, when Bodyshop Magazine celebrates its 37th birthday and the Awards turn 27, we will stage the eighth edition of our 30 Under 30 initiative which was established in 2017 to mark the 30th anniversary of the magazine,” he added.
30 Under 30 is an annual campaign to find 30 inspirational individuals who have achieved something special in their sector and are earmarked for future success. To qualify next year, nominees must be 30 years of age or under on 30 September 2024 and work within the UK collision repair industry. They can hold any job role within the repair sector supply chain, with past winners including apprentices and technicians, recruiters and reception staff, VDAs, bodyshop managers and business owners, suppliers, marketers and distributors, manufacturers, and many more.
Those who fit the criteria can nominate themselves or be entered by their peers, bosses and colleagues via our streamlined online nomination form, which can be found on www.bodyshopmag.com. The final line-up of 30 winners, as chosen by an independent panel of industry experts and previous 30 Under 30 winners, will be recognised during the Bodyshop Awards 2024 celebration next autumn.
Entries for both the 30 Under 30: Rising Stars and Bodyshop Awards 2024 open on 1 December 2023 and nominations will remain open for four months until 31 March 2024.
Click the links below to submit your nominations for:
The line-up of major awards categories established in 1997 will continue once again next year and includes Technical Training Provider, Vehicle Manufacturer, Supply Chain Partner and Work Provider.
Bodyshop categories for 2024 will include the ever-popular Bodyshop Manager of the Year; best Bodyshop Group for multi-site operators; Small, Medium and Large Bodyshop of the Year; and the best overall UK Bodyshop of the Year in 2024.
Also up for grabs are categories covering Technology and Innovation; Vehicle Damage Assessor; and Environmental Trailblazer.
The Technician and Apprentice Awards for skilled panel and paint technicians are all about promoting and recognising body repair and refinish excellence and inspiring the next generation of paint sprayers and panel techs to pursue a career in the industry.
The Advanced Technologies Technician of the Year category, which was introduced in 2022, is open to the very best MET and multi-skilled technicians who must hold a current qualification or accreditation at Level 3 or above in both EV and ADAS.
The independent assessment processes for panel, paint and advanced technologies technicians will take place online and in-person over the next six months to ensure these Bodyshop Magazine categories remain unique within the crash repair industry. They are specifically designed for bodyshop employees working on the front line of repairs as MET, panel and paint technicians, some of whom will be experienced operators and some will be working towards their apprenticeship qualifications.
With the race to find our 2024 awards finalists now under way, please look out for future issues of Bodyshop Magazine, visit www.bodyshopmag.com to submit your nominations, and come back regularly to stay up to date, meet our independent expert jury, and feel to the Bodyshop Awards 2024 buzz as it builds throughout the year.
