The standard of entries in 2007 was extremely high and the winners deserved the praise which they received. Bill Joyce of Siemens Building Technologies who won the Judges Special Award said: “I was absolutely delighted when I was told that I had been nominated for the Engineer of the Year Award, and looked forward to the evening with great anticipation. However, the Engineer of the Year award came and went so I sat back to watch the remainder of the presentations.

“As the Special Award citation was being read, I though ‘Crikey - this is some engineer they are talking about here’, when it slowly dawned on me that Tracey Rushton Thorpe was talking about me. To say that I was pleased would be an understatement - I was absolutely delighted, not least of all for the reasons behind this award

“After working with two controls companies for more years than I care to think about, I have indeed been responsible for the nurturing of new recruits into the industry, and as HVAC is not exactly the glamorous end of engineering, it is indeed rewarding to see these recruits remain within the industry and to watch the progress they make.

“There is one tiny problem however, which is, that in the early days of their training, I am the one telling them how, what and why things should be done, how things should not be done etc, but within a short period of time the roles it seems are very much reversed, and I find myself seeking advice from these youngsters - though I guess this is a good sign.”

If you think you have the winning qualities of people like Bill then read on because we are now calling for entries in all of the award categories, for achievements which took place or were completed during 2006/07. The judging panel will be looking for evidence of genuine excellence, both measurable and memorable, and for guidance notes and an entry form, please email tfrankel@datateam.co.uk.

Entry is free, so if you work for or know of, an organisation that has enjoyed some successes over the past 18 months, we look forward to hearing from you. The deadline for all submissions is Monday 17 December 2007.

The award categories

The award categories cover all areas of the building controls industry and are as follows:

Student of the Year – Sponsored by Trend Control Systems Ltd

Awarded to the individual who best demonstrates the achievements gained through the successful participation in the BCIA Technical Training Programme (this could also include other building controls educational programmes). Recognising the value of the training programme and the importance of continuous professional development, the recipient will have displayed a significant advancement in his/her ‘building controls’ career. The recipient will need to provide evidence of the following:

• Achievements to date
• Application of knowledge
• A recent testimonial (from a tutor, employer or similar)

Engineer of the Year – sponsored by Siemens Building Technologies

Awarded to the individual who best demonstrates the achievement of ‘engineering excellence’ within the building controls industry. Utilising technical knowledge, application know-how and project management skills in meeting and resolving a particular engineering challenge, the recipient will have displayed a commitment not just to their duties and responsibilities but also to the industry and the environment as a whole.

The recipient will need to provide evidence of the following:

• Achievements to date
• Application of knowledge
• A recent testimonial (from an employer, customer or similar)

Frank Dennis OBE Marketing Award – sponsored by FETA

Awarded to the individual responsible for implementing a successful marketing campaign which has had a positive and demonstrable effect on their company or the industry as a whole. Detailing the success of the campaign by clearly illustrating its aims and objectives, together with its overall results, the recipient may either be employed in a marketing role, or someone for whom marketing is not their primary function.

Systems Installer of the Year – sponsored by Honeywell Automation & Control Systems

Awarded in recognition of the installer which best demonstrates professionalism, commitment and understanding of the needs of their client and the industry as a whole. Detailing the achievements gained through specific projects and installations, the recipient will need to provide evidence of the following:

• Meeting the client objectives
• System delivery and innovation
• Clients’ appraisal (testimonial)

Technical Innovation of the Year – sponsored by Priva Building Intelligence Ltd

Awarded for the most innovative building controls product, system or service (new or redeveloped) introduced onto the market within the last 12 months. Detailing its precise technical configuration, the recipient will need to provide evidence of the following:

• Innovation
• Application
• Use and relevance of the product (testimonial)

Energy Management Award

Awarded to a manufacturer and/or system house in recognition of the positive contribution that a Building Management System is providing (actual or projected) to the energy efficiency of a building and/or building complex. Detailing the specific requirements of the system and the overall energy savings secured, the recipient will need to provide evidence of the following:

• Reason for installation
• Type of system installed
• The benefits which the system has provided to the building and the environment

Best Service & Maintenance Provider – Sponsored by Resource Data Management

Awarded to the company who best demonstrates outstanding levels of care and commitment to both their client and the industry as a whole, in the provision of customer service and maintenance contracts for Building Management Systems. Covering the specific details of any given contract or project, including any difficulties that needed to be overcome, the recipient of this award will need to provide evidence of the following:

• Services provided
• Meeting the client objectives
• Clients’ appraisal (testimonial)

NB. Service & Maintenance Providers can nominate themselves or they can be nominated by their clients – either way, details of the service being offered must be supported by a client testimonial.

Judges Special Award

Awarded for outstanding contribution and achievement, the recipient is selected by the BCIA Judging Panel for what they believe is an entry worthy of recognition but which for various reasons falls outside of the main awards categories and judging criteria.

No nominations will be sought for this category.

Entry guidelines

All finalists will benefit from a highly-effective and targeted form of promotion and visibility, prior to, during and after the event, so what have you got to lose… enter your company today.

It’s easy to enter so there are no excuses for missing out on this prestigious event in the building controls industry calendar. You may enter as many categories as you wish and you may nominate your own company, or another that you know or work with. Category finalists will be promoted throughout March and April 2008 when the online voting facility will be available to your supporters – all you have to do is make sure that they vote for you!

All completed entries must be received by no later than 17.00 on Monday 17 December 2007 with all supporting material arriving at the Datateam offices by Friday 21 December 2007. All entries will be judged by a panel of independent adjudicators whose decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into with respect to those decisions. The winners will be announced at the awards dinner on 15 May 2008.

So what are you waiting for – get your entry form now.

The Awards Dinner

This was THE industry event of 2007 where guests gathered together for an excellent evening of fun and entertainment. Chris Monson, Strategic Marketing Manager for Trend Control Systems Ltd who sponsored the 2007 event said: “The BCIA awards evening rounded off a series of events throughout the day that pulled together the leading industry participants; to network, share experiences, express opinions and lobby support enabling us to continuously improve what we do for our customers.

“The awards evening itself was the pinnacle of the day, an excellent dinner, followed by fitting recognition to those who have made significant advancement and achievement within the industry as voted by their peers from across the industry. Trend was particularly pleased to be able to sponsor the Student of the Year award, a prize that complements Trend’s commitment to the recruitment and training of new entry participants to the industry, and we are delighted to continue to support this award in the future.”

Make sure you don’t miss out – put 15 May 2008 in your diary now for an awards dinner which promises to be even better than last year.

Sponsorship

There are a number of exciting and unique sponsorship opportunities available at the event for proactive companies to raise their profile. With an overall reach of some 50,000 active building controls buyers, users and specifiers, and fully supported by the BCIA, BSEE & Building Automation magazines, the 2008 awards programme will provide supporting organisations with a fully-integrated promotional campaign, comprising powerful pre-& post-event messaging and branding, and an impressive presence at the event itself.

This is the only opportunity for the whole of the building controls industry to join together to celebrate the many successes in the industry – we look forward to seeing you on the night for a celebration which promises to be second to none.

The Building Controls Industry Awards 2008 is organised by Datateam Publishing Limited in association with BCIA and BSEE.

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For further information on how to enter your company, application, product or service, or indeed yourself or a colleague, into this year’s awards programme, please contact:

Tanya Frankel

T: +44 (0)1622 699121

E: tfrankel@datateam.co.uk

The Building Controls Industry Awards 2007
Datateam Publishing Limited
15A London Road, Maidstone
Kent ME16 8LY