Ms. Würmser, how do you win an IFOY AWARD?

How do you win an IFOY, what is important?
With courage and perseverance, I’d say—and an exceptionally good product or customer solution is a given anyway. But first, you have to apply. It’s quick and easy to do online. About half of the applicants make it through the preliminary selection to the finals, where they then face the IFOY Audit and the jury’s decision. In the past, the level of innovation was the main deciding factor, but for several years now, I’ve noticed that customer benefit has been playing an increasingly important role in the jury’s decision.

The finalists must undergo an audit. What exactly is happening there?
The audit consists of three parts and begins months in advance. The most important part is the scientific IFOY Innovation Check and the IFOY Test for industrial trucks. The scientists first assess whether the innovations cited by the manufacturers are innovative improvements, new formulations, or genuine innovations. Depending on the product in question, driving and functional tests, surveys, and other analyses are then conducted. At the conclusion of the audit, the judges and their authorized advisors evaluate the finalists. By the way, the advisors do not have voting rights.

The test winner wins?
Not necessarily, because there isn’t a “test winner” in that sense. What many people don’t know: The finalists are not compared to one another, but rather to their competition products. The expertise of the scientists on the jury provides us with independent information to help us make our decision—information that we could never have gathered ourselves with such depth and breadth. The testers present their results to the jury and make a recommendation for the winner. There’s a lot of debate about this, but in the end, each juror makes their own decision. Still, I’d say, “Testing makes the difference,” because I’ve often found that after testing, my assessment of products changes. It’s one thing on paper, but live testing can turn everything upside down. This is a phenomenon we notice time and again among our visitors as well.

Can the professional public take part in the tests?
Even better, you can actually try out the IFOY Finalists for yourself. The audit will take place in the same hall as the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS. The Camp is a kind of interactive experience showcasing the best innovations in intralogistics, and IFOY is co-hosted. Visitors are introduced to the exhibits through guided tours and can then test-drive or remotely control new forklifts and warehouse equipment models, try on exoskeletons, or work with robots. You don’t have to compete in the IFOY to exhibit there.

Although submitting an IFOY application is free, a nomination fee must be paid if you are nominated for the finals. Why is that?
That’s a question of value and values. A product award that’s worth anything is never free; someone always pays for it. At IFOY, the fees are transparent and tiered based on company size. It starts at 1,400 euros for startups and goes up to a maximum of 23,000 euros for large companies. These fees ensure the independence of the tests and the entire organization, which in turn guarantees an international reach and extremely high marketing value. On average, a nomination is worth 500,000 euros, based on a conservative estimate. One finalist in 2022 set the record with over 1,800 press articles and a marketing value of more than 3 million euros. No one has surpassed that to this day. There’s really no better way to invest your marketing budget.

Is it true that the IFOY Finalists don’t find out whether they’ve won or not until they’re on stage?
People ask me that all the time. Yeah, that’s true.