Seven award category winners honoured in virtual ceremony
The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) and members of the Australian freight and logistics industry have completed an historic virtual 2020 Australian Freight Industry Awards (AFIA).
Founder and outgoing chair of intermodal operator SCT Logistics, Peter Smith, is named personality of the year and leads the strong cast of seven winners during a 90-minute virtual awards presentation broadcast from The Pullman hotel in Melbourne.
The winners were:
- Personality of the Year Award: Peter Smith, SCT Logistics,
- Female Leadership Award: Debra O’Donnell, Precise Pallet Management
- Young Achiever of the Year Award: Annastasia Denigan, Cement Australia
- Sustainable Environment Award: Alex Fraser Group
- Application of Technology Award: JOST Australia
- Best Practice Safety Award: Delta Group
- Investment in People Award: Nationwide Group
Venue capacity restrictions meant the annual event that typically sees upwards of 700 guests could not proceed in its usual form, so the VTA presented an online celebration.
VTA CEO Peter Anderson, with the assistance of representatives of category sponsors, announced the finalists and winners, who accepted their award from the comfort of their own homes with the assistance of livestreaming technology that connected them to a studio set up at The Pullman to broadcast the production.
Chas Kelly was the big winner at last year’s ceremony
“This year’s awards have occurred against the backdrop of unprecedented circumstances, with coronavirus forcing businesses and communities to make huge sacrifices and adjustments to adapt to this strange, new COVID Normal,” Anderson says.
“Presenting these awards in this virtual format is certainly something I never expected to experience, but our ability to do so is a testament to how our industry just gets on with things, and support our customers, suppliers and each other.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the way transport operators have rallied to keep Australia moving throughout the pandemic, ensuring households and communities have had ample supplies of food, medicine, fuel and other essential goods during the uncertainty of lockdowns.
“Congratulations to our winners and finalists and we look forward to presenting this year’s winners with their trophies on the very near future.”
VTA president Mike Lean also marked the virtual occasion.
“On behalf of the Australian freight industry, the many members of the assessment panels and the VTA executive council, I’d like to congratulate our finalists and winners and thank the more than 40 individuals and organisations that took time to prepare entries,” Lean says.
“In such tumultuous times, we never expected to receive a record number of nominations, and that we did is a credit to the passion our members have for these awards and recognising our industry’s many achievements and contributions.
Anderson confirms next year’s 32nd presentation of the awards would return to Melbourne’s Crown Palladium on September 4.
“We look forward to delivering another AFIA extravaganza in person next year and the opportunity for our industry to get together in person to celebrate our remarkable achievements,” he says.