Principal Sponsors:
Principal Sponsors:
The thl Industry Leadership Award (Under 40), previously the Future Leaders Award, recognises the talent shaping the future of Australia’s caravan and camping industry. This award is for young leaders — the ones who have built teams, driven strategy and created genuine, lasting impact. They may not yet have reached industry legend status, but their contribution is undeniable and the industry is better (and will be better) for their presence in it.
Nominations close Monday 27 April 2026, 5:00pm AEDT.
A senior leader or business owner currently active within the caravan and camping industry.
Has demonstrated proven impact in a leadership capacity — whether through business growth, team development, industry advocacy, or strategic contribution — relative to their sphere of influence.
40 years or under at time of submission.
The award has a self-nomination process — applicants submit on their own behalf.
Nominations consist of two components:
1. Written submission.
2. Selected finalists will then be required to present themselves to an in-person panel interview to determine the winner.
Applicants are invited to submit written response of no more than 1500 words, addressing the three questions below.
1.Your Impact: Describe your journey in the caravan and camping industry — what drives your passion for it, and what do you believe still needs to change? What role have you played, or do you see yourself playing, in making that change happen?
2.Your Leadership: Describe how you have built, developed, or inspired others in your organisation and/or across the industry. What does leadership mean to you, and how do you put it into practice?
3.The Industry’s Future: What do you see as the greatest challenges or opportunities facing the caravan and camping industry right now? Identify up to three and explain what you believe today’s leaders must do to respond.
Written submissions will be assessed by caravan state association representatives against the below criteria. Finalists will then be invited to an in-person panel interview conducted on Tuesday 12 May at RACV Royal Pines.
Proven impact: Has the applicant demonstrably improved outcomes for their business, team, or the broader industry?
Leadership of people: Have they built capability, culture, or careers in others?
Strategic thinking: Do they understand the industry landscape and think beyond their immediate role?
Industry contribution: Have they given back (or have the potential to contribute) to the sector through advocacy, mentoring, association involvement, or thought leadership?
Peer endorsement: Does the supporting nomination speak authentically and compellingly to the applicant’s leadership?
Successful finalists will be invited to a 30-minute panel interview conducted on Tuesday 12 May 2026 at the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, before a panel of industry peers, sponsors and association representatives.
Finalists will be asked a series of questions covering their views on the caravan and camping industry, the challenges and opportunities it faces and their outlook on its future development. Additional questions of a broader nature will give each finalist the opportunity to demonstrate their personality, leadership qualities and capacity for strategic thinking.
Each response will be individually scored, as will overall presentation. To ensure fairness, scores will be moderated using an Olympic-style judging process, removing the highest and lowest scores to minimise bias and ensure a consistent standard of assessment across all finalists.
The ultimate winner will be determined purely on the performance within the panel interview.
Judges will be looking for (among others):
Confidence within a pressure situation: ability to think quickly within a pressure situation (this process is specifically designed to be disarming).
Understanding of the complex relationships across industry: this may be potentially greater than the specific sector you come from.
Ability to contribute to the future success of the industry: this may look to future potential for state or national boards, working groups or general contribution to industry.
Potential as an industry ambassador: how the nominee will aim to inspire and encourage other leaders within the industry.
Prizes
The 2026 thl Industry Leadership (Under 40) Award trophy and certificate.
Recognition at the 2026 National Conference Gala Dinner.
$5,000 towards an agreed professional development program (must be taken within 12 months) in consultation with Caravan Industry Association of Australia.
Profile feature in Caravan Industry Association of Australia communications and media.
The opportunity to attend as an observer to a future National Board meeting.
An invitation to an upcoming Friends of Caravanning event held within Parliament House.
One return trip (airfares, accommodation room only, and trade pass) to attend an international industry event of their choice, valued up to $5,000 — options include the 2026 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, the 2026 RVDA Dealers Conference, the 2027 ECF Melvi Conference, or a 2026 or 2027 international caravan park industry conference. The award recipient selects which event they attend.
All finalists will receive one night’s accommodation (room only) on either Monday 11 May 2026, Tuesday 12 May 2026 or Friday 15 May 2026, where applicable.
Complimentary registration to the 2026 National Conference from 13–15 May 2026 on the Gold Coast.
$1,000 towards an agreed professional development program (must be taken within 12 months) in consultation with Caravan Industry Association of Australia.
All finalists will be recognised at the 2026 National Conference Gala Dinner, where the winner will be announced on Friday 15 May 2026.
How to submit
Written nominations must address all criteria and be submitted online by Monday 27 April 2026, 5:00pm AEDT.
