Building Back Better: Mersey Maritime Awards to return in September

As the country emerges from an unprecedented and challenging year dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mersey Maritime is confidently looking forward as it launches the seventh annual Mersey Maritime Industry Awards, 2021.

The MMIA21 will acknowledge and celebrate the very best of the maritime industry and are widely acknowledged as being the leading regional sector awards in the UK. In a year that has seen the whole economy impacted by the challenge of coronavirus, the theme for this year’s awards has been carefully chosen: Building Back Better. This aligns with both the government’s agenda for growth and levelling-up across the country, so critical for the industry going forward, but it will also celebrate and reflect on the resilience, innovation and vibrancy of the maritime and logistics industry in response to the biggest challenge we have faced in peacetime for the last 100 years.

The award event will take place in Liverpool on Friday 17 September 2021, at the end of a major week for the maritime industry in the UK, coming at the end of London International Shipping Week 2021 and listed as one of the official events at this major showcase for the sector.

Commenting, Chief Executive, Chris Shirling-Rooke said, “When we met for the MMIA20 in March last year, nobody could really have predicted the relentless challenges that our industry and indeed the whole country would face at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. But now we must look forward! The very fact that we are launching these awards, is testament to the resilience and fortitude that maritime here in the Liverpool City Region and beyond has demonstrated. We are determined to celebrate this in what will be yet another memorable occasion.

“The theme of ‘Building Back Better’ feels entirely appropriate at this time coming on the back of major announcements such as Freeport status for our area, and with its focus on growth through investment in infrastructure, skills and innovation. The future is bright for us regionally if we maximise the opportunities before us to embrace levelling-up, the part we can play in the ambition to achieve next zero and our unique position as the country’s most significant west facing port as a renewed focus on ‘Global Britain’ becomes a reality post-Brexit. These awards will definitely champion these positive and upbeat themes and I would strongly urge businesses and organisations to get involved!”

The awards this year will also feature some additional categories in association with Maritime UK.

Commenting, Chief Executive, Ben Murray said, “Mersey Maritime has been a consistent and powerful champion for the work that Maritime UK is engaged with across the whole industry in the United Kingdom. We are delighted to have the opportunity to use this significant occasion in the maritime calendar to celebrate and recognise a key part of our programme of activity focused on skills and careers in the sector. As such, awards for the national ‘Apprentice of the Year’ and ‘Apprentice Employer of the Year’ will be a fitting and exciting way to recognise the role that apprenticeships can play in supporting the sector’s skills requirements and offering a first-class route to starting a career in this most exciting of sectors.”

Chris Shirling-Rooke added, “Our thanks also go to the generous support of a number of our key partners who have offered their significant backing for this event. ‘Diamond Sponsorship’ has been secured from Kays Medical, Peel Ports Group and Western Union Business Solutions. This support will help ensure the seventh iteration of these awards are the best possible way to commend and recognise our powerhouse £4.2 billion industry in the region.”

Find out more here

Award application details

The application process for the awards opens today, Tuesday 3 May 2021 and will close on Friday 11th June 2021. The award categories are as follows:

• National Apprentice of the Year (Maritime UK)
• National Apprentice Employer of Year (Maritime UK)
• Business of the Year
• Employer of the Year
• Engineering Company of the Year
• Environmental Impact Award
• Innovation Award
• International Trade Award
• Maritime 2050 Award
• Maritime Ambassador’s Award
• Maritime Professional Services Award
• Micro Business of the Year
• Positive Impact Award
• Rising Star Award
• SME of the Year

Main image: Mersey Maritime Chief Executive, Chris Shirling-Rooke