Routes Africa Awards 2011
Routes Airport Marketing Awards - Regional Heats - Africa
The Routes Airport Marketing Awards are the prominent award ceremony for which the results are voted by its primary customers, the airline networking community.
The winner of this year's Routes Airport Marketing Awards - Africa region was announced at the Gala Dinner in Bamako, Mali. Over 200 aviation professionals were gathered, taking part in the 6th Routes Africa – the route development forum for the Africa region.
The Routes Airport Marketing Awards have become synonymous with recognising and rewarding the highest standards of marketing activities undertaken by airports. They work on the core principal that the people who are best placed to judge an airport’s marketing activities are its primary users: airlines.
The Shortlisted Airports were:
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- Entebbe International Airport
- Kotoka International Airport
- Sikuphe International Airport
The winner for this year's award was Kotoka International Airport.
Doreen Owusu-Fianko, Managing Director of airport operator Ghana Airports Company Limited, said: “We feel so proud to win this prestigious award. We are a small but functional airport and it is our vision to be a hub and gateway for the West Africa sub-region. We have always prided ourselves on being customer friendly and we are happy to have welcomed three different US Presidents to the airport.”
The overall winner will be automatically shortlisted for the Awards held at our World Routes event in Berlin, October 2011.
For further information please contact Susan Willis on +44 161 234 2758
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What’s the difference between the regional Routes Awards and the World Awards?
There are three main differences between the regional Airport Marketing Awards and the World ones, these are;
a. The airlines who vote. (Only those within the region are allowed to, not on a global basis).
b. The time period involved May 10 - June 11.
c. What the airlines consider i.e. the airports activity on a local level.
One of the key benefits of being an overall winner is that it means being automatically shortlisted for the World Awards.
2. Who is eligible to vote?
Airlines within Africa (in addition to any from outside the region who may be attending the event) are eligible to vote and consider all airports within Africa. Airlines based outside of this region will not be asked to vote. Network planners are asked to vote but votes will be accepted from others involved in commercial and marketing support on a local level.
3. What are the voting and submission dates?
Airlines should consider the year since the last Routes Africa event. So the specific period of time will be May 2010 - June 2011. Nominated airports will be informed by 17th June and submission will be handed in by 24th June.
4. What do the airlines consider when voting?
Airlines should consider airports whose marketing efforts, during the period of time stipulated above, have made a real impact on their future network development plans. They will be considering the efficient and useful marketing activities of any airport on their network within Africa, irrespective of airport size.
Airlines should consider the airport's market research activities, the airport's marketing communications, the airport's business case presentations for new market opportunities and the airport's joint communication campaigns with third parties.
Innovative use of technologies or techniques to support their airline by any airport within the region should also be considered before placing their votes. All votes will remain confidential.
5. How many airports does the airline vote for?
Airlines nominate up to 5 airports in priority order from Africa. The first airport is therefore the one they consider to have had the greatest overall impact on their airlines network development plans.
6. How long is the voting period for the Routes Africa Awards?
The voting opened on 16th May and closed on 15th June.
7. What happens next?
When the voting has closed, the votes are counted then independently verified. A shortlist of between 3 and 5 airports within each region of Africa will be informed by 17th June that they have been nominated. These airports will be asked to provide a submission giving their reasons, supported by clear and concise evidence, as to why they think they should be their category winner. The deadline for the submissions is 24th June.
A panel of judges then decides on the winners based on their submission papers.
8. Who are the judges?
The judging panel is drawn from the senior management UBM Aviation
9. When will the winners be announced?
The winners will be announced on Monday 4th July, Gala Dinner in Bamako, Mali.
10. Is there an overall winner and what does that mean?
Yes there will be an overall winner of the Routes Africa Awards and this airport will then be automatically shortlisted for the World Awards which will be held October 2011 at World Routes, Berlin.
What this means is that this airport does not need votes from outside its region to be shortlisted for the World Awards. The World Awards will operate in the same way as above except for the types and locations of airlines who vote. Airlines from all over the world will be asked to vote in the World Awards, they will not be limited to just one region.
Being an overall winner in the regional heats means that the specific airport is its regional category winner, not the overall winner of the Routes Marketing Awards.
