Clearview National January 2018 - Issue 194 | Page 37

G17 Awards DELIGHTED WITH G17 AWARDS » » THE GLASS AND GLAZING Federation (GGF) was delighted at the success of the recent G17 Awards held at London’s Park Lane Hilton. The GGF and FENSA (a sister company of the GGF) were major sponsors of the event and both organisations put up special awards to make the occasion even more memorable. The GGF Lifetime Achievement Award went to Greg O’Donoghue of Just Windows and Doors for his outstanding contribution to the industry and the FENSA Installation of the Year Award went to Artisan Conservatories and Windows. The GGF also sponsored the Glass Company of the Year Award which was won by Global Glass. As well as the three sponsored awards, the GGF also celebrated Members winning in eight of the twelve remaining categories. The winning GGF Members are listed below. COMPONENT SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Mila CUSTOMER CARE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR Glassolutions FABRICATOR OF THE YEAR Glazerite UK Group INSTALLER OF THE YEAR SEH BAC NEW PRODUCT OF THE YEAR Deceuninck PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR – RETAIL SEH BAC G17 UNSUNG HERO AWARD Danny Barnett, Solidor DEREK BONNARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Thermoseal Group www.MyGlazing.com COMMENT FROM THE EDITOR What kind of awards do we need? » » THERE’S NO DENYING IT, IF you’re on the receiving end of any award – from a trophy in your local flower show to an international product award – it’s sure to give you a warm glow. There’s something very satisfying about that flash of a camera and a pat on the back as you take the stage to receive the honour from your peers. It’s my belief that the ritual is among those that meets our basic human need for acknowledgement and attention. It can certainly be crushing when you hope to be in the running and find out that you don’t even get a mention. When I started in journalism nearly 30 years ago, there weren’t that many awards around. At least, not those that you’d remember. And sadly I wasn’t likely to be a recipient of the real biggies – like the Pulitzer or Nobel Peace Prize (although there’s still time, of course). These days, it seems there are bucket- loads of new, increasingly meaningless awards across all sectors of industry. It costs a fortune to even enter many of them, and then there’s the bank loan you need to pay for your company table at the awards ceremony – which in many cases turns into a train wreck well before last orders. Believe me, I’ve attended more than my fair share of these ‘do’s’ in my reporting career, across a somewhat mixed bag of industries ranging from health and fitness, local newspapers, fashion, and textile machinery. Back in the day, while working in Bradford for The Wool Record (yes, it was once one of the most successful trade magazines in Britain), I had a hand in managing the city’s first ‘World Wool Awards.’ The event was truly extraordinary – you try organising an awards table involving sheep farmers from Australia, Argentina, China and Uruguay, most of whom don’t speak English. Amazingly, by the end of the night they were all best buddies and exclaiming ‘good on ya mate!’ thanks to the Australian and his lingo lessons. Now, the people involved in awards are usually a bit more competitive. Not surprisingly, considering the dog-eat-dog economic climate we live in. There are lots of ruthlessly ambitious folks ever more anxious to get their products (and careers) in the media. That old self-effacing and rather quaint attitude of: “Oh, after you old boy – I’m not a fan of the limelight,” seems to be dead as a dodo. It’s no secret that the subject of awards in general - the G Awards in particular - is currently sparking a debate as we start another challenging year. And in this issue, we are continuing our reviews f rom last month of the G Awards 2017. While offering our congratulations to the winners, it is impossible to ignore the fact that - amid all the celebrations - opinion across the industry is somewhat divided – primarily on whether the time has come to review the procedures involved in assessing and judging what is without doubt one of the leading events in this industry. In common with all major awards, periodic reviews of judging criteria may be useful to ensure that fairness always prevails. Transparency on how short lists are arrived at and final winners chosen would surely set aside some of the concerns that have been raised - and provide reassurance to all involved. We have some truly fantastic products in our industry and anything less would not give them the credit they deserve. With this in mind, Clearview has made strenuous efforts to speak to the organisers of the G Awards but no response has yet been forthcoming as this issue goes to press. We appreciate that this is a busy time but hope there will be a response which we will be happy to publish in the interests of fairness. We are also keen to hear views from our readers about industry awards in general. Are there too many? Are they fair? Do you remember when they were any different? Please e-mail us at: [email protected] C L E A RV I E W-U K . C O M » J A N 2018 » 37