Automechanika Awards Dubai 2023

The purpose of this award is to recognize the best among the best in the Middle East region performing beyond market averages, demonstrating best industry practice, a sustainable business model, efficiency, working to the highest quality standards, technical excellence and delivering high standards of customer care. These include knowledge and experience with the kind of repairs needed, the use of high-quality parts and materials, a warranty or guarantee on their work, good customer service and communication, positive feedback from the community, and the right certifications. Please note that submission should be based for a single outlet.

The categories to be awarded are:

• Body Shop of the Year (Passenger Cars)
• Workshop of the Year (Passenger Cars)
• Service Provider of the Year (Commercial Vehicles)
• Car Care Specialist of the Year
• Mobile Services Provider of the Year

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Experience and Expertise: While selecting an entity for car repair and fixes, experience and skills of the technicians play a key role. How frequently technicians are trained, their skills brushed up, and assessed is an imperative aspect of service quality.
2. Customer Service: Are you ensuring that your customers are having a quality experience? Are you providing unique and personalized service? Are you tracking, recording, and taking necessary action on customer complaints, feedback, and suggestions?
3. Guarantees and Warranties: Any reputable company will guarantee their work. In order to ensure a high-quality job, the company should offer some form of warranty.
4. Complete Service: The service provider should offer a complete service to you. For example, they should be able to process your insurance claim and provide accurate estimates for the repairs and jobs.
5. Diagnostics and Tools: The center has to be equipped with a wide variety of tools and resources to perform various diagnostic, maintenance, and repair jobs.
6. Certifications and Standards: Is the center certified by relevant authorities for their procedures, policies, and equipment? Are the technicians certified and hold relevant qualifications to carry out the jobs? Do they regularly conduct audits to identify gaps?
7. General Administration: Does the center have processes in place for inventory management, job processing, workflow management, and customer relations management, and other general administration? How well is the data captured, stored, and managed?
8. HR and Employee Wellbeing: Does the center have employee development and happiness as a part of their procedures? Do they believe in Work/Life Balance?
9. Performance Beyond Market Averages: Demonstrate performance metrics that exceed industry benchmarks include evidence of growth, profitability, and market share expansion.
10. Best Industry Practices: Adoption and implementation of leading practices, including innovative approaches to service delivery and business operations.
11. Sustainable Business Model: Integration of environmentally friendly practices ensures long-term viability and resilience in the face of economic challenges.
12. Efficiency: Showcase optimal resource utilization leading to cost-effectiveness is achieved through streamlined processes and minimized wastage.

1. Innovation and Technology: Provide innovative use of technology and mobile solutions to enhance service delivery and customer experience.
2. Service Quality: Commitment to delivering high-quality mobile services, including reliability, responsiveness, and effectiveness in meeting customer needs.
3. Range of Services: Demonstrate the breadth and depth of services offered, including the diversity of mobile solutions available and their suitability for different customer requirements.
4. Accessibility and Availability: Provide coverage area, service hours, and response times.
5. Industry Recognition: Specify awards, certifications, and partnerships.
6. Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Are you committed to sustainable practices and social responsibility initiatives, such as reducing environmental impact, promoting digital inclusion, and supporting community development.
7. Growth and Market Impact: Provide the stats on growth trajectory and market impact, including market share, revenue growth, and expansion into new markets or segments.
8. Compliance and Security: Adhering to regulatory requirements and industry standards, as well as measures taken to ensure the security and privacy of customer data and transactions.
9. Value Proposition: How is your mobile services pricing, affordability, and the overall cost-effectiveness compared to competitors.

Recognizing long-term excellence in any role within the aftermarket industry, the Special Recognition Award is the ceremony’s flagship award, for individuals whose careers have spanned at least 20 years with documented accomplishments and accolades. Celebrating longevity and achievements during distinguished careers, the award acknowledges the recipient’s sustained achievements within the automotive aftermarket industry.

The winner will have demonstrated outstanding excellence contributing to the significant growth and development of the industry within a leadership role, inspired others in the industry, and forged enduring relationships across multiple areas of the automotive aftermarket.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

1. A record as an industry leader who leverages leadership skills, technological innovations, digital tools, trends, and resiliency best practices to pave the way for innovative and successful project execution. 
2. A record of accomplishment in promoting, developing, and educating professionals to build and sustain teams and work cultures that are diverse, welcoming, and inclusive.  
3. A record of contributions to expanding the automotive industry’s narrative and telling the stories of the roles, opportunities, breadth, and values of the profession.  
4. A record of engagement with other industry groups or owners and owner organizations. 
5. Positive influence to the industry

This award is presented to a woman who is a leader, mentor, and role model who has made significant and outstanding contributions to the automotive aftermarket industry. This outstanding candidate should also demonstrate role model behaviors, leadership and commitment towards the advancement of women in the industry. She will also be considered as a rising star in the region and beyond.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Leadership: Has demonstrated excellent leadership skills within their company, community and/or volunteer activities. Leading by example.
2. Inspiration & Impact: Has had a visible and/or tangible impact on fellow employees, whether subordinates or others within their company, through actions or activities.
3. Developing Others: Has been dedicated to mentoring within or outside of her company, provided support for rising professionals, and been actively engaged in career coaching.
4. Presence: Possesses visibility within their organization or field, demonstrates high integrity in actions and words, and portrays an image of strength and confidence that inspires.
5. Diversity, Inclusion, Equity: Nominee actively fosters a diverse and inclusive environment in all that they do.

Digitalization is defined as an application of technology that changes or enhances processes, customer experience and value. The Digital Product of the Year Award will recognize the importance of digitalization within the automotive aftermarket industry and honour the achievements of organizations that have successfully digitalized one or multiple areas of their business through the application of disruptive technologies.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Business transformation (30%): the entry will outline how the business has transformed through the adoption of digital processes or technology.
2. Innovation (30%): Originality of the project and its approach
3. Application of Technology (25%): there should be a showcase of demonstrable and measureable benefits through this project.
4. User friendliness (15%): How easy is it to adapt and use this technology

Eligible Participants: Technology service providers, OEM’s, Distributors, service centers

This award will unearth a whole set of innovative, disruptive new business and entrepreneur that continue to make people sit up and pay attention to the start – up market. The product or innovation will unearth some of the finest ideas that have been brewing in the industry. The start-up should not be more than 3 years old into operations.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Team: Investors invest in ‘people’. A team that is capable of achieving what it sets out to do.
2. Market Validation of the Product: What is the problem that you are solving?
3. Business Model: How do you intend to make money? The model should be scalable – it must be global in scope, or at least regional for starters.

Registration and nominations are complimentary.

The entrant should select award category based on below specified parameters:

• Relevance: Entrants should choose categories that align closely with their accomplishments, expertise, and contributions within the industry.
• Impact: Consider the impact of the work or initiatives. Categories are tailored to recognize specific types of impact, such as innovation, sustainability, or community engagement.
• Eligibility: Ensure that the submission meet the eligibility criteria under each award category. This may include participation restrictions, industry focus, or time frames for the activities being nominated.
• Excellence: Categories often seek to honor excellence in various aspects of the industry, such as product quality, service delivery, or leadership.
• Innovation: Categories may also highlight innovation and creativity in addressing challenges or introducing new solutions within the industry.

For further clarity, please email Udita Mehta at udita.mehta@uae.messfrankfurt.com or call contact here at +971 52 685 6246.

Entries must be written in English.

You can enter submissions in multiple categories, however, only 1 submission per award category.

Entries can be edited online until the submission deadline.

Automechanika Dubai Awards 2024 will be taking place on 11 December 2024 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Award winners will be announced only on the day of the ceremony, to maintain fairness, suspense, and excitement, preserving the integrity of the awards process.