Award Categories

The AAAA Hall of Fame Award honours the creativity, industriousness and accomplishments of outstanding individuals whose efforts have contributed to the stature, development and on-going success of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Industry.

The winner will be recognised amongst the industry elite. The 2022 Hall of Fame inductees were David Fraser –Capricorn and Anthony Kittel – REDARC.  Adding to the prestige of the Hall of Fame Award the AAAA Board of Directors are responsible for identifying nominees and selecting inductees.

The achievements and influence of AAAA Hall of Fame recipients extends beyond the local level. All have made significant contributions to the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Industry through driving innovation, fostering professionalism and enhancing its stature, combined with at least a decade of industry experience and a high degree of integrity.

Nominees for this category are selected by the AAAA Board of Directors.

Since 1977, the AAAA has recognised individuals whose vision, work ethic, integrity and character have made a positive and measurable impact driving the ongoing development of Australia’s Automotive Aftermarket Industry. Winners of this award are committed to not only their own personal development, but that of their peers and this, combined with their passion for quality and fairness in business sets the industry benchmark.

Eligibility

Open to employees of AAAA member companies who have served a minimum of 10 years within the automotive aftermarket industry.

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• Practical examples of programs, initiatives and actions the nominee has championed that have had a positive impact on the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Industry
  Weighting 50%
• How the nominee fostered an environment of innovation and added value to the Aftermarket Industry
  Weighting 30%
• Outline the aims and ideals on which the nominee has built their career and describe how they drive self-improvement both in business and personally
  Weighting 20%

This award is in honour of one of the founders and former Presidents of the AAAA Board of Directors, Kim Aunger, who tragically lost his life whilst still in his prime. Starting his career in plastic injection moulding, Kim built a successful business in the automotive aftermarket. Since 1992 this award has been presented to inspiring young achievers in the Australia Automotive Aftermarket Industry who have demonstrated leadership, vision and innovation to make a positive impact on the industry and their peers.

Eligibility

Open to employees of AAAA member companies, 35 years or younger on or before 29th February 2024, with at least 3 years’ experience in the automotive aftermarket industry.

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• Practical examples where the nominee has completed additional education to develop their skills specific to the industry in the areas of leadership and innovation.
  Weighting 50%
• Examples of the nominee’s key career achievements supported with a detailed description of their current role and responsibilities
  Weighting 30%
• Outline the aims and ideals on which the nominee has built their career and describe how these drive self-improvement both in business and personally
  Weighting 20%

Our industry has a commitment to the recruitment and retention of employees, and many do this with innovative and unique employment programs. This category recognises excellence in engaging with employees. Companies are invited to submit entries that describe projects that can demonstrate one of the following outcomes:

• Enhanced engagement with employees for improved participation in the workplace.  Include examples of harnessing employees’ ideas for workplace or product improvements
• A new approach to finding good employees and keeping them.  Examples include engaging with future potential employees at secondary schools or training campuses.
• Support for the recruitment of new employees into our industry by embracing diversity in recruitment, seeking employees that are not traditionally engaged with our sector.
• Improved retention rates of employees by valuing employee input and rewarding loyalty.

CRITERIA

Entrants should demonstrate:

• How their company has engaged in projects that are innovative, using techniques and new ideas for engagement.
  Weighting 50%
• How this project has either made a difference to individuals, consumers or supports diversity in the workplace.
  Weighting 50%

Breaking new ground overseas is a challenge but getting it right can provide Australian manufacturers with the potential to enjoy large increases in sales. Award winners in this category will have researched, identified and cultivated new markets outside of Australia in order to grow their potential customer base and ultimately increase sales.

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• How their marketing strategy was developed to engage new markets.
  Weighting 40%
• The level of export sales as a portion of total sales. The growth in export sales in the last 5 years in terms of value and the projected growth in value for the next 3 years.
  Weighting 30%
• Participation at key international trade events, senior management commitment to export development and internal support for export activities.
  Weighting 30%

In the quest for manufacturing excellence there are a number of competing forces that need to be managed. Increasing manufacturing efficiencies, raising quality, reducing downtime, improving agility and ultimately improving profitability. Winners of this award have proven that while it is a challenge, by investing in research, embracing innovation and predicting future trends, it is possible to develop a competitive advantage through focusing on continual manufacturing improvement.

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• How research and development has directly related to improved manufacturing techniques / processes
  Weighting 30%
  
• Operational process changes that have directly resulted in improvements in quality, productivity, capacity, costs or delivery to customers
  Weighting 30%
  
• How your manufacturing operations support your business strategy and how they contributed to your competitive advantage
  Weighting 30%
  
• A commitment to upgrading accreditations and identify awards or recognitions of achievements in the last 2 years
  Weighting 10%

As vehicles change, workshops must too. This award recognises modern workshop all-rounders who are pioneering the way for future workshops to follow.  There are two categories for this award:

• Independent Workshop (Not affiliated with a chain)
• Chain

CRITERIA

Entrants should demonstrate:

• Innovation and setting your workshop apart from the pack
  Weighting 25%
• Commercial return and improved business performance
  Weighting 25%
• Preparedness for the future
  Weighting 25%
• Customer Service Initiatives
  Weighting 25%

Terry Mahoney was one of the driving forces in the formation of the AAAA. He served 8 years on the AAAA Board of Directors, including 2 years as president and was awarded the Outstanding Service to Industry in 1998. Terry founded the iconic brand SAAS and showed a commitment to develop and roll out innovative, memorable and cost-effective marketing campaigns that drove sales and set the benchmark in the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Industry. An accomplished businessman and marketer, this award is dedicated in Terry’s memory. This award is designed to recognise an organisation that has developed sound marketing practices that are tested frequently through a planned review process. These practices will allow them to firstly identify potential threats or opportunities, develop strategies and build an integrated campaign, designed to secure the organisations ongoing success.

CRITERIA

Entrants should demonstrate:

• How an opportunity or threat impacted your marketing strategy in the last two years, for example, an attractive new market segment, shifting consumer preferences or a new government regulation.
  Weighting 10%
• The marketing objectives and strategy that was developed to address the opportunity or threat, and the data, research and/or testing undertaken to validate the strategy and inform the marketing or campaign plan.
  Weighting 30%
• How this strategy and data analysis influenced and shaped a marketing campaign. Include information on the key message, creative execution, media and channels utilised.
  Weighting 30%
• The results, including performance indicators and measure against the objectives.
  Weighting 30%

This award will recognise teaching organisations, trainers or educators that are achieving excellence in automotive education.

Criteria:

Entrants should demonstrate:

• Innovation in teaching methods – demonstrated use of innovative and inspiring teaching methods, technologies or approaches in education, which facilitate favourable learning outcomes and student engagement.
  Weighting 40%
• Industry Collaboration – demonstrated partnerships, integration or association with industry organisations, businesses and events which increase awareness and accessibility of training, and promotes the benefits and opportunities in a career in the automotive industry.
  Weighting 30%
• Student success and satisfaction – demonstrated success amongst students, and high satisfaction from students and workplaces.
  Weighting 30%

Our industry participates in many local communities, supporting education outcomes, health and community well being, charities and assisting the community in fundraising for worthy causes. This award is open to Aftermarket companies that have made a positive contribution to the community.

This award seeks to promote engagement with the community, it does not seek to reward fundraising efforts, it is about community projects rather than fundraising efforts.

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• Innovative community engagement projects that reflect well on our industry and increase the reputation and standing of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket
  Weighting 50%
• How this project has made a positive difference to the lives of individuals or to communities
  Weighting 50%
• a) To the lives of individuals

• • Improving quality of life (education, health, sporting, disability, diversity)

• • Providing access to resources or opportunities
  • Improving awareness / educating the community about important issues / encouraging action on these issues.
• b) To communities:

• • Improving the health or quality of life for specific communities (can include charity work or local community impact)

This category is designed to recognise E-Commerce solutions that have positively impacted the customer experience, making it easier to identify and order the correct part or service as well as educating the trade customer. 

CRITERIA

Entrants must have demonstrated:

• Innovation in the ways in which data / information has been delivered to make the e-commerce solution easier to use
• How e-commerce has reduced the instances of incorrect orders and returns
• How e-commerce has improved knowledge about your product or service
• How the e-commerce solution has improved business effectiveness or efficiency

Weighting:

• Objective (10%)
• Solution (30%)
• Innovation (30%)
• Result (30%)

This category is designed to recognise an innovative campaign that utilises elements (or all) of the following:

• Mass Media Channels
• Direct Marketing
• Digital Platforms
• Event activations
• Public Relations

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• How research and data analytics helped identify the target market and guide media selection and messaging
• How the core message was successfully integrated into all campaign elements
• Return on marketing expenditure
• Response on engagement metrics

Weighting:

• Objective (10%)
• Solution (30%)
• Innovation (30%)
• Result (30%)

This award will recognise an automotive business, small or large, that has made significant changes across their business to significantly reduce their environmental impact and become more environmentally sustainable.

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• Environmental Impact Reduction – show measurable reductions in business environmental footprint. E.g decreased carbon emissions, energy consumption or waste generation.
  Weighting 40%

• Innovative Practices – show the initiatives, practices and technology implemented to reduce environmental impact.
  Weighting 30%
• Stakeholder Involvement – showcase the training and communication undertaken to effect employee adoption of sustainable practices; showcase collaboration and engagement with any of the following: customers, industry suppliers, community groups, local government, or education providers to design, implement and measure the environmental sustainability initiatives.
  Weighting 30%

These awards are designed to recognise excellence and reward innovation in a number of product categories. New products must demonstrate significant innovation in the product category. Products must have been first released in Australia after 22^nd April 2022.

NB: Only two entries per category per company will be accepted for the following awards and products can not be entered into multiple categories.

Criteria

Entrants should demonstrate:

• How innovative the product is to the category
• How the product delivers value to the customers
• How the new product added value to the organisation’s profitability

All New Product Award submissions must include a high-resolution image of the product. Your New Product/s will be displayed at the Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo in the Most Innovative New Aftermarket Product Showcase for the duration of the Expo.

Weighting:

• Objective (10%)
• Solution (30%)
• Innovation (30%)
• Result (30%)

Entry Fee:

Free to all Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo Exhibitors. A $500 fee per two entries will apply for non-exhibitors.

The Most Innovative New Aftermarket Product categories are as follows:

ACCESSORIES – Open to all automotive accessories (excluding products entered under 4WD, Performance, Parts and Electrical categories).

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) – Open to any mechanical or electrical 4WD product for the interior or exterior of a 4WD vehicle.

ELECTRICAL (including Mobile Electronics) – Open to all electrical parts and accessories that can be carried in or fixed to the interior or exterior of the vehicle including components or products for Electric & Hybrid vehicles.

PARTS – Open to any mechanical product that can be fixed to the interior or exterior of an automobile including replacement parts (excluding Accessories).

PERFORMANCE – Open to all mechanical or electrical products that can be fixed to the interior or exterior of an automobile to improve performance.

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT – Open to all tools and equipment used in the automotive repair and service industry.

This award recognises the best and most innovative Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo stand that is equal or less than 36sqm in area. Judges will consider overall presentation of the stand including design, construction, layout of product, use of colours, lighting, signage, flooring and attention to detail. Winner will be announced at the 2024 Australian Auto Aftermarket Excellence Awards Banquet Thursday 11th April 2024.

All stands are automatically nominated for this award.

Judging Criteria
• Stand to be equal to or less than 36 square metres in area.
• Consider overall presentation of the stand including design, construction, layout of product, use of colours, lighting, signage, flooring and attention to detail.
• Consider all stands equally – big / small and traditional / avant-garde.
• Recognise quality without the bias of individual taste.

Weighting:

• Visual Impact (60%)
• Product Signage/Literature Available (20%)
• Product Identification (10%)
• Staff Presentation (10%)

This award recognises the best and most innovative Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo stand that is over 36sqm in area. Judges will consider overall presentation of the stand including design, construction, layout of product, use of colours, lighting, signage, flooring and attention to detail. Winner will be announced at the 2024 Australian Auto Aftermarket Excellence Awards Banquet Thursday 11th April 2024.

All stands are automatically nominated for this award.

Judging Criteria
• Stand to be over 36 square metres in area.
• Consider overall presentation of the stand including design, construction, layout of product, use of colours, lighting, signage, flooring and attention to detail.
• Consider all stands equally – big / small and traditional / avant-garde.
• Recognise quality without the bias of individual taste.

Weighting:

• Visual Impact (60%)
• Product Signage/Literature Available (20%)
• Product Identification (10%)
• Staff Presentation (10%)