New IAPA equality, diversity and inclusion category announced

A new category has been added to the 2023 International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs). 

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) award is now open for entries to any company or individual who has demonstrated a sustainable commitment to improving these areas in the powered access industry. Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate how entrants have recognised the importance of diversity in the workplace and taken actions towards fostering a more inclusive environment where all employees feel valued and can thrive.

The winning entrant will be presented with their award at next year’s gala dinner, which will be hosted alongside the Summit on 20 April 2023 at the H4 Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz, Germany. All award categories are now open for entries, with a closing date of 15 December.

Karin Nars, president of IPAF, who has been instrumental in creating the new IAPA category, alongside the develpoment of IPAF’s Women in Powered Access initiative, commented, “We are pleased to announce this new award for the upcoming IAPAs, and we look forward to receiving lots of submissions. As part of the judging panel for this year’s awards, it will be interesting to be involved in sifting and assessing the various entries; it will be fascinating to see the companies and individuals who submit their stories of fostering equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“In case anyone is wondering what would qualify as worthy of nomination for an individual, that person could be a role model who has inspired or supported others, or someone who has overcome personal barriers to excel in their career. Likewise, a company or individual may have been involved in introducing concrete changes or visible actions that ensure workplace colleagues feel valued, respected and listened to.”

All entries to the IAPA 2023 awards will be announced by an expert judging panel of five longstanding members of the access industry. 

Peter Douglas, CEO and managing Director of IPAF, said the new award category is a great opportunity to celebrate building a truly inclusive workforce. “This year’s IAPAs saw a record number of entries across the categories and led to a fantastic awards event in London back in March; now we are all looking forward to taking the event to Berlin, Germany, for the first time, in spring of 2023.

“Please take a look at the various IAPAs categories and start getting your entries in before the 15 December deadline. Our 2023 IAPAs judging panel has just been announced and all our industry experts are looking forward to reviewing another strong set of entries.”

For all the 2023 award categories see the event website.