Are the Demolition Awards representative…?
The shortlist for the first Demolition Awards has been announced, and it’s VERY British.
When KHL, publisher of D&Ri, announced that it was to host the first-ever Demolition Awards (and Demolition Summit) we welcomed the announcement, and have followed the awards as they have developed.
But following what was reportedly an intense judging panel in Amsterdam yesterday, the awards shortlist has been announced. And three months before the final winners are announced, we’re already wondering if the awards are truly representative.
Take for example the Demolition Company of the Year category where the shortlist has been whittled down to six companies, and where each of the finalists is from the British Isles. The Demolition Contract of the Year shortlist features just one (US) company from outside Europe, while the Demolition Training award shortlist is again an all British affair.
Now don’t get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for Lindsay Gale and the rest of the D&Ri team. I also know several of the judging panel and I have no doubt that they were anything less than 100% scrupulous and fair in their decision making.
But the UK demolition business comprises just a few hundred companies, while the US has several thousand (including some of the biggest in the world), and yet the Americans seem grossly under-represented. And where, for that matter, are the highly professional Germans and the innovative Japanese.
Maybe it’s just a quirk of the entry process; maybe this first-ever awards has yet to capture the imagination of the wider demolition world; and maybe it merely mirrors the regions of the world where D&Ri is most widely read or where the awards have been most strongly promoted.
But, whatever the reason, when the results are eventually announced at the Demolition Summit in Amsterdam on 6 November, the winners enclosure is set to look like a National Federation of Demolition Contractors meeting with a few special guests!
Posted: September 9th, 2009 under General.
Comments
Comment from admin
Time September 9, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Should I book my tickets now then??
Comment from John Woodward
Time September 10, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Mark, The British entries that are shortlisted could make it seem to an outsider that the awards are purely a British affair but I can tell you, as a member of the hardworked judging panel, that this is not the case.
Most of the categories had entries from non British companies but in most cases those entries, from Russia, Spain, Italy and USA were not as good as the entries received from UK companies.
Whether that is because the UK companies read the entry criteria more thoroughly or that they were just more used to submitting awards entries I cannot say but they were better on this occasion.
The awards drew entries from many countries including Russia, Italy, Spain, Holland, Denmark and USA and many of these were excellent entries but, at the end of the day the better jobs formed the shortlists.
I feel that as this is the first year of the awards, next year will see more entries and maybe the short lists will be truly international but we must remember that to win anything, even the church raffle, you have to enter.
All of the companies who made the short lists should feel very happy to have made it this far and they will all be waiting with bated breath for the night of the awards when the envelope is opened and the words “And the winner is” are spoken.
I presume that you will be going to the wards and the summit to report on it for http://www.demolitionnews.com
Comment from admin
Time September 10, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Many thanks, John, for your usual considered response. As I said in my original piece, I was certain that all was above board and fair. In truth, I think it speaks volumes for D&Ri and KHL that they have allowed the judging to be so independent as to almost totally exclude, perhaps, their biggest area of readership/circulation: America. However, it will be interesting to see what the National Demolition Association in the US make of this.
I certainly am hoping to be there for the summit/awards. I have been involved in KHL events previously and they really know how to do these things properly.
Comment from Terry Quarmby
Time November 11, 2009 at 10:37 am
I read with interest all your comments regarding the shortlist for the awards. As a winner of one of the awards I can honestly say we are as proud to recieve this award as any we have recieved in the past, particularly as it was judged by our peers. The fact that more UK based contractors were shortlisted and subsequently picked up awards should not be suprising given that we have consistently pioneered demolition engineering and have an unrivelled record regarding Health, Safety, the Environment and Training of our operatives that cannot be matched anywhere. Despite the fact that we are heavily regulated, we are without doubt the most innovative and professional of any demolition fraternity throughout the world. So why should anyone be suprised when we are judged to be amongst the best there is. We are not ashamed or afraid to tell anyone when we get it wrong so lets celabrate when we are judged to have got it right!!
Comment from admin
Time November 11, 2009 at 10:43 am
Very eloquently put Terry, and congratulations on your well-deserved award.
Although I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend the awards, the feedback I have received has been almost universally positive.
To be entirely honest, my biggest concern with these awards was the apparent lack of interest from the world’s largest demolition market; the US. And while I note that US companies did win awards, I would certainly like to think that the National Demolition Association will encourage more of its 1,000+ members to makre their presence felt next year.
Comment from RobertKulinski
Time September 9, 2009 at 8:09 pm
It must be an aberration. It was kind of boring this year in the US. I can’t think of a project that stands out.
Next year is a whole ‘nother story. There are a number of very complex projects that will be tendered in the 1st Quarter of ‘10