BIFA polishes up the silver for 25th Freight Service Awards 2013

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) www.bifa.org is seeking entries for its annual Freight Service Awards competition, celebrating a quarter of a century of recognising the best in the UK freight forwarding industry.

And in a notable vote of confidence in the value of its awards, for a
second year running the same award category sponsors have returned with
their support.

Entries to any of the categories can be made through the event’s website
at: www.bifa.org/awards (Enter Now). BIFA’s Freight Service Awards are
open to full and probationary Members of the trade association for UK
freight forwarding companies.

BIFA Director General, Peter Quantrill says: "This year has been notable
for national anniversaries. One of the most important for the freight
industry in the UK has to be the Silver Jubilee of our Freight Service
Awards and I invite companies to enter the Awards that continue to
represent an annual opportunity for UK forwarders to demonstrate excellence.

"It was a very different freight industry from when we launched the
awards in 1989. Mrs Thatcher was Prime Minister. Communication was
largely by telephone and even telex; offices hummed with the sound of
fax machines and typewriters. Computers were large and unwieldy, as were
mobile phones. Construction had just started on the Channel Tunnel,
which wouldn’t open until our fifth Freight Service Awards in 1994.
Younger BIFA Members may have to take a moment to imagine what it meant
for their elders that the only way to send a truck to Europe was by ferry.

"However, what hasn’t changed in over 25 years of our Freight Service
Awards is the importance we place on the second word of the title –
service. This is recognised by the fact that, for a second year, the
same category sponsors have returned to offer their support to the
awards, with some sponsor companies having been on board for over two
decades."

The competition is now officially launched so this is the moment to take
the time to seriously consider entering any of the categories that
reflect the best your company can achieve. As well as encouraging and
rewarding high standards and professionalism, the awards represent the
ultimate recognition of special achievement in different sectors of the
freight forwarding and logistics industry.

Each of the nine award categories is recognised as very prestigious, and
winning an award has become more coveted year-on-year. Judging meetings
will be held in mid October to select four finalists in each category,
at which stage finalists will be informed if they have made the final
shortlist, with winners announced at the awards ceremony.

The ceremony luncheon continues to be a key annual event on the industry
calendar. This event will take place on Thursday 16 January 2014 at
London’s popular venue, the Chiswell Street Brewery. The identity of the
celebrity host for the event is still under wraps and will be announced
shortly.

The winner of the Young Freight Forwarder Award will receive a cheque
for £1,000 and be nominated as the UK candidate for the Young
International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award 2013.

More than 500 people including BIFA Members and their guests are
expected to attend. The luncheon will provide a valuable opportunity for
attendees to acknowledge the winners as well as networking with key
figures from within the industry.

The nine BIFA Freight Service Awards 2013 are as follows:

General Categories:
• Environment Award – sponsored by Red Recruit
• Project Forwarding Award – sponsored by Peter Lole & Co
• Special Services Award – sponsored by Forward Computers
• Staff Development Award – sponsored by Albacore Systems
• Supply Chain Management Award – sponsored by BoxTop Technologies

Modal Categories:
• Air Freight Award – sponsored by IAG Cargo
• Ocean Freight Award – sponsored by CargoWise
• European Logistics Award – sponsored by TT Club

Individual Category:
• Young Freight Forwarder Award – sponsored by Virgin Atlantic Cargo

Further information about entering can be found on the BIFA Awards 2013
web pages at www.bifa.org/awards.