OMA Industry Awards celebrate 'best of the best' talent in OOH

The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) hosted its Annual General Meeting, followed by an Awards ceremony celebrating the dedicated and talented individuals who contribute to the Out of Home (OOH) industry on Monday.

The refreshed, new annual awards program offers more opportunities to recognise the depth and breadth of Outdoor talent including state awards. In 2021 the OMA also introduced a Hall of Fame award to honour the giants of the industry for their lifetime achievements.

Charmaine Moldrich, OMA CEO, said: "The refreshed awards program acknowledges both the maturity of the industry, as well as the boost in OMA membership which has seen 13 companies join in the last 15 months.

Pictured left to right: Emerging Leader Award – Paul Ellery, Big Screen Video and Alex Anthony, VMO

Pictured: Excellence in Innovation Award – Nigel Spicer, Cactus Imaging ­– oOh!media

"We received 58 nominations, submitted to acknowledge the talent of our members' teams. From Rising Stars to the Hall of Fame, we are proud to celebrate the incredibly significant contribution made by our members, not just to their company but to the wider OOH industry.

"We are a very tight-knit and collegiate industry, and our members and their teams go above and beyond the call of duty to support the OMA and MOVE. The nominations and awards acknowledge this contribution and give us a chance to show our gratitude and say thank you," she concluded.

A new award category, the Emerging Leader Award sponsored by Big Screen Video recognises emerging leaders within the Outdoor industry and provides the winner with an opportunity to travel, network and enhance their understanding of digital LED technology, the client experience and how this contributes to ROI.

Pictured left to right: Outstanding Service Award – Elise Taylor, oOh!media; Mark Treasure, oOh!media; Russell Bilsborow, JCDecaux; Christian Zavecz, QMS Media; Nick McAlpine, Bishopp

Pictured left to right are the Rising Star Awardees: Tess Fellows, oOh!media; Anna Wyatt-Spratt, oOh!media; Octavia Bellekens, VMO; Alec Mowat, VMO; Meaghan Spencer, oOh!media; Natasha Jarrett, oOh!media

Paul Ellery, Big Screen Video CEO, said: "We are excited to provide this opportunity to a worthy candidate, to immerse themselves in the new technology that is making Out of Home such an innovative industry. With our diverse network of clients in Outdoor, we see huge benefits in providing this educational opportunity."

Also introduced this year is the Ben Walker National Rising Star Award as a memorial to CEO of Shopper, who passed away earlier this year. Ben Walker was a bright shining star and this award was created to recognise bright young talent in the Outdoor ranks.

The finalists and winners were chosen by judges: Cathy O'Connor, CEO of oOh!media; Charles Parry-Okeden, independent chair of the OMA and MOVE; Joe Copley, chief revenue officer, Seedooh; Paul Butler, managing director, Val Morgan Outdoor; Steve Bovey, 2018 Excellence in Innovation Award Winner; and special guest judge Lisa Walker, Ben Walker’s widow who judged the Ben Walker National Rising Star Award.

Pictured: OMA Industry Award – Karissa Fletcher, Shopper

The winners across all seven categories of the 2022 OMA Annual Industry Awards are as follows:

Emerging Leader Award sponsored by Big Screen Video

Alex Anthony – VMO

Excellence in Innovation Award

Nigel Spicer – Cactus Imaging, oOh!media

Outstanding Service Award

NSW | Cassandra Cameron – JCDecaux

QLD | Joint Winners: Elise Taylor – oOh!media and Nick McAlpine – Bishopp

SA | Russell Bilsborow – JCDecaux

VIC | Christian Zavecz – QMS

WA | Mark Treasure – oOh!media

Rising Star Award

NSW | Joint Winners: Alec Mowat – VMO and Meaghan Spencer – oOh!media

QLD | Octavia Bellekens – VMO

SA | Natasha Jarrett – oOh!media

VIC | Tess Fellows – oOh!media

WA | Anna Wyatt-Spratt – oOh!media

Ben Walker National Rising Star Award

Meaghan Spencer – oOh!media

OMA Industry Award

Karissa Fletcher – Shopper

Hall of Fame

Brian Tyquin – Outdoor Systems

Daphne McPhee (Posthumous)

Kelvin Whitford

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Top image: Lisa Walker; Meaghan Spencer, oOh!media; Ed Couche, Shopper