Mark Hopwood,
GWR▸ MD, was presented with Industry Leader of the Year at last night's Rail Business Awards Dinner.
Looking at the video at
http://www.railbusinessawards.com/2018/en/page/home he was presented with his award by Michael Portillo wearing, for him, a rather sombre suit. (Mr Portillo not Mr Hopwood!)
I love these backslapping ceremonies - it's rather like the North Korean regime awarding each other medals and applauding each other endlessly! (......and for God's sake don't be the first one to stop clapping!)
As a convert in favour of awards I'm going to comment on that ...
I too love these ceremonies. They come across as a grouping of people being self-congratulatory to other members of the group, with the whole thing probably happening at the financial expense of their customers / clients / population / lower party members. And being there (at the event) is certainly now everyone's cup of tea.
but
They're an encouragement to perform up to, over, and above the norm, not just to the winner but the whole pool of entrants / potential winners. They're an encouragement to entrants to review what they're doing / providing as they put their entries together. They're a way for organisations and people who make nominations of other people and groups to say "thank you - we appreciate what you do". And they're a way for groups of people who are doing similar things to come together and network, with many valuable conversations and contacts going on around these events if not on the platform.
I'm headed out from home in a few minutes and I'll be stopping at location on my way to take pictures ...with those pictures potentially forming the basis of a competition entry. That entry process will make me thing about the place I'm picturing, and my entry will help keep it in the attention of the judges, who are a selection of folks from outside the area who we really need to consider us in good light with regard future developments!
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