NZ Road Transport Hall Of Fame Inductees Celebrated

2022 saw the return of the in-person Mobil Delvac 1 NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame gala dinner, following its pivot to a digital format amid the COVID pandemic in 2021. 
 

Every year, six people from around the country are inducted into the Hall of Fame, which honours their outstanding contributions to the national road transport industry. Inductees are selected to take their place alongside some of the most respected names within the industry and they are recognised at a spectacular gala dinner at Bill Richardson Transport World: the largest private automotive museum of its type in the world.

HWR director Scott O’Donnell says this year’s event on Friday 30 September was a welcome return to the status quo.

"One of the driving factors behind creating the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame in the first place was to bring everybody together, so being able to celebrate the industry’s success stories, share a yarn, have a good catch-up, alongside one another was something people were really looking forward to," he says.

"The busyness of life for people within the industry means opportunities like this are few and far between, and this year’s event was a chance for people to come together and celebrate the contributions of their peers. The inductees of 2022 deserve to be celebrated, and this was an opportunity to recognise their contribution."

The NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame aims to raise funds for the ProActive Youth Driver Education Trust.

HWR director Joc O’Donnell says ProActive Youth Driver Education is a worthy cause that aligns nicely with the Hall of Fame event.

"The inductees and guests at the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame have all contributed to creating a safer environment on our roads, whether it be through their innovations or their professionalism, and we’re proud to be able to support this initiative to ensure our youngest road-users learn valuable skills as well," she says.

The programme makes driving safer for young New Zealanders. It is free for teenagers who already hold a driver’s licence, and gives them the opportunity to take part in courses that equip them in the event something unexpected happens while they are on the road. Its courses are a combination of theory and practical, hands-on lessons. The programme is also available to corporate drivers.

TW Events & Incentives events manager Adam Reinsfield says while the online event in 2021 was a success – it garnered more than 2000 unique views from around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe – you just can’t beat the real thing.

"There’s nothing like getting together to catch up with people you know, but don’t often get to see – and it was really fantastic to feel the positivity of our Hall of Fame attendees this time around, after having to change our plans at fairly short-notice in 2021," he says.

"2022 saw the event come back in full force: it was a bumper event this time around, with more than 450 guests from all over Aotearoa gathered together here at Bill Richardson Transport World. A lot of hard work goes into pulling an event of this scale off, but our team was really pleased to be part of connecting the industry once more thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. We hope everybody had a fantastic time, and we’re looking forward to September 2023 already."

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