(FLTA) Awards for Excellence will take place on Saturday, February 1, 2014, aiming at encouraging and rewarding examples of excellence throughout the fork lift truck industry and beyond.

Online voting is now open for the event at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. Sponsors and winners will fly in from all parts of Europe and the Far East for the Oscars-style ceremony.

The awards offer a unique opportunity to network with forklift industry members from near and far, make new contacts, mingle with colleagues from every part of the industry and guests are treated to an evening of music, entertainment and dining.

Among the night's awards are those given to the overall champions of the four main product categories: Environment, Ergonomics, Safety and Innovation.

Winners are presented with the iconic Archie statuette – a symbol of materials handling excellence (pictured right).

The organisers claim that, for everyone working in the materials handling industry, the awards represent the best networking opportunity on the calendar.

In 2013, the FLTA Awards for Excellence were presented across 10 categories.

Each winner was chosen either by the FLTA Board, the industry as a whole, or the guests themselves, for making a superb contribution to materials handling in their category.

The organisers say that all finalists can feel secure in the knowledge that anybody reaching their level is justifiably considered to be one of the industry’s finest.