We are proud to announce the launch of the Intelligent Instructor Awards 2019 – a brand-new event recognising and celebrating stars of our industry; the achievements of the very best instructors, schools and suppliers who have pushed the boundaries of driver training endeavour…

Five… We’ve long held the belief that this industry needs and deserves a dedicated event to show off the achievements and products on offer from the very best driver trainers and suppliers, rewarding excellence and promoting best-in-class. This is a gala event to showcase all this and more.

Four… Ten award categories and 20 awards in total will be presented at a special sit-down dinner event on the evening of Sunday, 6th October. It follows on from the ADINJC & Intelligent Instructor Conference & Expo ’19, and is being held on the same day at the same venue – the Heart of England Conference and Exhibition Centre, just outside Coventry.

Three… To ensure complete independence and credibility in the all-important judging process, we have assembled a panel of eleven experienced judges from the world of driver training. They will dissect, assess, score and select the winning entries on merit, from the entries received according to the set criteria which are designed to be completely fair to all, whether you’re large or small, rich or poor.

Two… Entries are now being encouraged across all categories:

  • Driving Instructor of the Year (10 regional awards, one overall winner)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Professional Support Provider of the Year
  • Special Educational Needs Provider of the Year
  • Regional Driving School of the Year
  • National Driving School of the Year
  • Insurer of the Year
  • Product of the Year
  • Car Supplier of the Year
  • Instructor Car of the Year (judged by our motoring team from FirstCar).

One… It’s time to get your entries and recommendations in by going to: intelligentinstructor.co.uk/awards

Our panel of experts sitting on the judging bench are ready and waiting, and they are:

Lynne Barrie,
Chairman, ADINJC

Carly Brookfield,
Chief Executive, DIA

Liz Brooker MBE,

Chair, Road Safety GB

Peter Harvey MBE,
National Chairman, MSA GB

Mike Quinton, Chief Executive, IAM RoadSmart

Annette Lloyd, Chief Executive, The Honest Truth Partnership

Nick Simmons,
Chief Executive, RoadPeace

Laurence Braithwaite,
National Campaigns Manager, Highways England

Lou Walsh, Owner,
Driving Instructor TV

Adrianne Carter, Owner,
The Face Whisperer

David Motton, Editor, FirstCar

Is It You? Who will be crowned Driving Instructor of the Year? Well, knowing how modest you are, we’re appealing to the young drivers themselves to nominate you, but only if they think you deserve to be considered for this prestigious title. Working with top young driver brand FirstCar, we are marketing this award to all young learners and recently qualified drivers to get them to vote for their choice of instructor from their experience. Alongside this, we want to encourage you to ask your pupil’s to spend a few minutes going to our Driving Instructor of the Year recommendations page and putting your name forward and answering a few key questions about their experience under your supervision, including innovative teaching methods, going the extra mile, making lessons fun and road safety.

Is It Them? We are also appealing to industry product suppliers and service providers to put themselves forward for any of the other appropriate award categories. For those winning or coming in as runners up – ‘Highly Commended’ – it’s a fantastic accolade, a real feather in the bow to help business fly with immeasurable PR and marketing value. Of course, nominations for all the award categories are free to enter and open to all, both independent ADIs and those working for regional or national driving schools, from small business service and product suppliers, through to national names. Our aim is to unearth the best this industry has on offer, recognising and rewarding them accordingly. Nominations are open, but close 24th June.

Time to Feast

The awards will be part of a fabulous gala dinner event. A welcome drinks reception leads onto a three-course meal and the award presentation ceremony. The celebrations and the networking opportunities will continue into the early hours, aided by the live music and post-awards entertainment. It will be the ‘Oscars’ for the ADI industry, which it so richly deserves. This event will undoubtedly be the biggest and best ADI awards ceremony the industry has ever had, with an anticipated 250 people attending and all the drama and pizazz to go with it. So, get nominated, get nominating, book your tickets and get ready for lift off.

Intelligent Instructor awards are go!!