International Van of the Year Rules

The Organization, Its Objects, Its Members

 

1.1
The International Van-of-the-Year (IVOTY) organization is an international organization registered as IVOTY Co Ltd. with the trading name “International Van of the Year”, and established in 1992. From 2009, the International Pick-Up Award (IPUA) was formed as an affiliate prize to the IVOTY.

1.2
The IVOTY Co Ltd, International Van of the Year is an independent, democratic non-profit organization formed by a select group of professional light commercial vehicle and/or urban transport journalists, created to form a jury which elects the annual International Van of the Year and to develop other activities such as international Pick-up Award, as considered appropriate. The IPUA is presented every second year or the year after, as the jury sees fit.

1.3
The jury shall consist of one member from each country within Europe, 25 to date, involved in the election. The representation should come either from the editor of the leading LCV publication in each country or the leading journalist in that country that may or may not be with that publication but recognised by the industry as the leading LCV expert in that country.

A jury member may engage one named colleague in his/her country to help or support him/her in the jury work as a deputy, but only the jury member has the right to vote. A deputy can represent the jury member at single meetings and other occasions, which must be announced to the chairman in proper time before the meeting in question.

1.4
The IVOTY Co Ltd., is of not-for-profit status with the Board formation as follows: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and two Steering Committee members. The Board shall be elected by the full jury every year at the AGM for a five year term, or more often if circumstances require. The jury member will voluntary offer his or her resignation at age 67, when he/she will be entitled to re-present his/her case for remaining the representative jury member for his/her country to the IVOTY jury. In the event he/she is not deemed to satisfy the rules of membership through ill-health or other circumstances, the jury member will become a non-voting Honorary Member of the jury and a new active voting jury member will be selected to represent the aforementioned territory.

1.5
A jury member, by exception and under certain circumstances can appoint a person who substitutes for him/her and who has the right to act as a jury member as far as described in the articles 3.1 and 3.4 of the rules. This person has to fulfill all the demands that normal jury members entail. The substitute can be appointed for the period of one calendar year. After that period the jury member in question has to decide whether to return as a jury member or give up his/her membership. A jury member who wants to appoint a substitute has to make it known in writing to the chairman before the beginning of the calendar year in question. The chairman has to make known this fact to the other jury members and to the industry. Every jury member is free in forming a group of colleagues, specialists or operators from his country to support him/her in the selection of candidates.

1.6
Membership may be held only by journalists the majority of whose journalistic activities is in the field of light commercial and/or urban road transport/business & utility vehicles and who publish regularly in respected publications/websites/social media in the country they represent in the IVOTY and/or IPUA organizations. Members are deemed to be respected and of leading status in their country in general and in the urban LCV urban transport/distribution business in particular and must have a position that is independent from any van manufacturer. Each member is expected to publish the results of and editorially support the annual International Van of the Year election and/or other activities/events decided among the majority of the members. This includes the presentation of the replica IVOTY trophy of the current year to their country’s Managing Director from the winning brand, or brands, should the prize be shared. For members of the IPUA jury, the same obligations apply.

It is envisaged that a separate IPUA jury will be formed in future to reach the full complement of members as per the IVOTY. The election process will be the same as that in voting in new jury members.

1.7
The jury may appoint new members by voting collectively. Candidates can be proposed by any jury member. Jury members are to acquaint themselves with the candidate as a person and with the quality of his/her journalistic activities. It is the task of the chairman to invite the new member formally.

1.8
A jury member may be suspended for the following reasons:

1. If he/she no longer fulfills the requirements as mentioned in article 1.6;
2. If he/she neglects the right to vote;
3. If this person wishes to be dismissed;
4. If the member deliberately breaks the rules or ethics of the International Van of the Year and associate IPUA organisation.
5. If he/she or his/her deputy does not regularly attend the meetings and other events organised by or for the jury.

Members are obliged to attend no less that 50% of jury events and jury meetings.

1.9
Newly elected members to be appointed to the jury/juries from one year before full membership is to be granted.

1.10
The IVOTY organisation itself shall be financially independent from any manufacturer, distributor or dealer.

1.11
Members will pay an annual subscription to the membership of the jury. This will be a fixed fee, to be decided by the Board, becoming due at the AGM. The rate of membership fee should be set and agreed each year at the AGM, to be held in January/February, and will be expected to cover the costs of the trophy and any other incidental expense incurred by the organisation. Members will have until 31 March each year to pay the membership fee. Failure to do so will result in possible ejection from the jury. The amount of the financial contribution will be fixed every year by the jury and has to be paid in January/February of every year at the AGM.

An annual membership fee to be paid by all members at the beginning of each year, with the fee Steering Committee and agreed by the jury.

1.12
Decisions about important matters, such as suspension of a member, election of a new member, election of a chairman, a vice-chairman, other officers or Steering Committee, the appointment of an independent voting referee, change of rules, the development of other activities than the annual International Van of the Year and/or IPUA election and the value of the financial contribution require agreement of two thirds of the jury members. An official meeting or voting shall be held if more than 50% of the members are present. Important decisions must have the approval of two thirds of the jury.

1.13
The organization has an EU address, IVOTY Co Ltd., D’Alton Street, Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland, F12 E7P2, with company (non-profit) status, with annual accounts produced and operate financially in Euros.

 

2. Eligibility of Award Recipients

2.1
The main criterion for the nomination and the election of any van as International Van of the Year is its contribution to high standards of efficiency, safety, with respect to environment and the sustainability of the transport of light goods by road in the countries involved in the IVOTY Co Ltd., International Van of the Year organisation. Criteria for IPUA is that it meets and serves the needs of the business/utility user in an efficient and economical manner, with class leading off-road ability.

2.2
Any purpose-built, light commercial vehicle up to 3500 kg GVW is eligible. Professional Driver’s Card is not required. Compared to previous generation models, the van must contain considerable technological improvements. A minor facelift etc. does not make a van eligible.

2.3
The van nominated must be reasonably new and shall be produced in series at the end of that calendar year that the vehicle is up for nomination. The manufacturer must give each jury member an opportunity to drive/test the vehicle at least one week before the election process.

2.4
Manufacturers do not have to “enter” their vehicle for the Award. Any eligible Van/Pick-Up, sold in at least 12 countries within the jury membership by the end of the calendar year will be automatically included in the assessment and voting. If the jury considers there are not enough worthwhile candidates, the competition may be deferred by one year or a new category created or alternate with the International Pick-up Award.

2.5
On special occasions the jury can deviate from the requirements mentioned in chapter 2.3 and also from the requirements that follow as a result of article 2.3.

 

3. Award Election Procedure

3.1
Each jury member may nominate a van for the award providing it satisfies all the requirements under Rule 2. Each nomination must be sent in writing to the chairman, not later than 50 days before the decided ceremony in the year before the official date of the award.

3.2
The chairman makes a list of the most nominated vans, if more than six vans are launched in any given year, a two stage voting process shall take place. Vehicles co-designed or badge shared/engineered shall be deemed as one and voted as one. Nominations can be made, and made known to the chairman by the jury members. This list is sent to all jury members 45 days before the decided ceremony date, which depends on the light commercial vehicle trade show chosen every year for the that purpose by the jury.

3.3
All jury members must have tested the eligible vans, if possible and if applicable on their own test route. They also must have had close contact, if possible, with operators using the eligible van.

3.4
Each judge has 12 voting points to allocate to any van/vans from the list of nominated vans. Not more than 7 points may be given to one individual van. The judge is not obliged to use all his/her points. The vote shall be accompanied by a brief discussion of the reasons for his/her choice or of the reason why not all his/her points are awarded. If a two stage voting process is required, the first ballot will be a straight forward 1-7 vote with the number one choice given 7 points and the 7th choice given 1 points and so on. The same situation arises for IPUA voting if necessary.

3.5
The final votes must be sent 25 days before the decided ceremony date to an independent voting referee appointed by the jury (not later than 5 p.m. of the last day, g.m.t. +1). The referee collects the votes and notifies the result to the chairman, not before all votes have been cast and within 24 hours after this date. Should there be two or more vans/Pick-Up with the same number of points, the winner will be decided on the highest number of first preference points in the ballot/s.

3.6
On the basis of the statements made by the individual jury members the chairman makes the official International Van-of-the-Year/IPUA statement to be presented to the winner together with the award.

3.7
The result of the voting shall be made known to all jury members prior to the official ceremony.

3.8
The award will be presented to the winning manufacturer on the decided ceremony date on a major commercial vehicle exhibition, chosen every year by the jury. News of the Award Winner is embargoed until the moment that the award giving ceremony has ended. The winner may use the award for promotion until the last day of the calendar year involved. In the case of the IPUA, it extends for the two-year period and for another year until the presentation of the next award.

The top three finalists will be informed that they are in contention for the main prize, and that the winner will not be announced until the official presentation ceremony. A Standard award logo and badging will be provided to the winning brand/s for the purpose of general promotion following the award presentation exhibition. This must and cannot be changed or altered in any way and the winning brand must pay a license fee for permission to use the Award logo for their own promotional purposes. The said fee, agreed by the jury will be communicated to the successful brand(s), immediately on being awarded the prize. Payment must be made within 90 days in order to release the license.

3.9
The judges are obliged to present the official statement and the results of the voting in their magazines as soon as possible after the official announcement.

3.10
Members of the International Van-of-the-Year/IPUA jury are expected to generate as much publicity as possible around the election in their home countries through all media outlets – traditional print and social media.

3.11
Every judge is free to organize domestic presentations to the national distributors or representatives of the winning manufacturer after the official, international presentation of the award has taken place. One official replica of the award may be made per country involved in the International Van-of-the-Year/IPUA Organization, produced at expense of the jury member concerned.

 

4. Miscellaneous

4.1
The IVOTY Co Ltd., (IVOTY/IPUA) is an international registered democratic non-profit organization.

4.2
Members listings and the publications they represent is listed on the jury official website. A full history of past winners is also featured.

4.3
Additional full members may be elected from time to time.

4.4
Social Media: dedicated Facebook and Twitter accounts have been established.

4.5
Each full member can vote at all management meetings.

4.6
An Associate Membership will be established creating links with global markets such as North America, South Africa, India, China, Japan, Australia, Brazil etc.

4.7
These rules and regulations come into effect from 30 October 2017.