Dom Browne, Highways Magazine editor, answers a few questions that we've been asked

What's the difference between the Highways Champions Awards (Highways Magazine/Hemming Group) and the Heroes Awards?

Glad you asked. Both have the laudable aim of recognising the people who make this sector so amazing, but there are key differences between the two.

Highways Magazine is always proud of its offer to the market, and more than happy to quietly let the best work win out. Given the number of questions that we've been asked about this topic, we felt we should produce the explainer below, as it’s sometimes important to make clear who we are and what we stand for.

1) The Highways Champions Awards nominations process

Our Highways Champions Awards are not a complicated entry process. You do not need consultants, long submissions or lots of time.

It is simply a chance to tell the story of someone in your team who has made a real difference. Someone who has gone above and beyond. Someone who deserves to be seen.

If someone comes to mind, nominate them. Make it personal, make it honest and keep it simple. That’s all we want.

2) The Highways Champions Awards event

Our Highways Champions Awards is not a black-tie event. It is a lunchtime/afternoon business attire event. Our awards are designed to be inclusive and to have the fewest barriers to entry - that means no need for a hotel stay, no need to hire a black tie suit or faff about with a bowtie.

We already have the leading black-tie event in the Highways Awards. This is something different.  

We want everyone in the sector to feel at home, welcome and relaxed. If you love the highways industry and the people in it, just like we do, that’s good enough for us.

3) The company running The Highways Champions Awards

The Highways Champions Awards are organised by Highways Magazine, which has over 90 years of commitment to the UK roads sector.  

Highways Magazine is part of the Hemming Group, a family-owned publishing and exhibitions business with over 130 years of history.

Our in-person events portfolio includes Traffex, a leading highways industry exhibition; Highways Live Cymru, a dedicated Welsh highways one-day conference; The Executive Hire Show, a leading plant hire sector exhibition; The MJ Achievement Awards, a nationally significant celebration of the hard work performed in local authorities; The Builders' Merchants Awards, for the building materials sector and a host of managed events including the exhibition at the Local Government Association's annual conference.

4) The groups supporting the Highways Champions Awards

Highways Magazine's Highways Champions Awards uniquely have the formal support of the UK's key national highways institutions: National Highways, The Welsh Government and The Scottish Government.

The Highways Champions Awards Steering Group counts the senior directors of the RSMA, RSTA, IAT, TMCA, IHE and ADEPT amongst its members, plus leading sector specialists: Neil Levett (ITS UK and Levett Business Services), Helen Blood (Boundary Marketing), Sam Munslow (Highways Mind Health Association) and Paula Claytonsmith.

If you have further questions, please get in touch with Richard Castle, Group Publishing Director, Highways Magazine Portfolio, Hemming Group r.castle@hgluk.com