On a memorable evening in Sydney, ARN continued its tradition of celebrating and rewarding excellence across the Australian channel.

For 12 years, our awards ceremony has provided a platform to showcase the leading partners, start-ups, distributors, vendors and individuals.

This year signalled a change of direction, recognising ground-breaking innovation through the lens of the customer.

In dictating the go-to-market strategies of partners, and the supply chain, changing business demands are redefining the notion of customer value.

Today, customers look, think and buy differently, consuming technology in different ways through different providers.

With innovation levels heightening, forward-thinking customers are seeking forward-thinking partners in a bid to create competitive advantage across the market.

Consequently, the channel must evolve, through building, developing and constructing new IP, based on customercentric strategies and solutions.

To capture this innovation, the revamped line-up honoured the channel across nine categories - Start-up; Partner Value; Emerging Technologies; Homegrown Innovators; Vendor Value; Distributor Value; Personal Innovation; Channel Choice and Hall of Fame.

A Marketing Excellence award was also introduced, recognising the increasing importance of building brands and communicating with customers.

Likewise, a newly launched Export award showcased the Australian-born players with global ambitions from day one, while the Collaboration award acknowledged partner-to-partner collaboration in the channel.

Under the revamped ARN Innovation Awards banner, a record haul of 370 nominations were submitted, spanning over 120 organisations across the channel.

As a result, 2018 was the most competitive line-up in the history of the Awards.

In front of more than 690 industry leaders, partners and start-ups showcased customer innovation; vendors outlined channel commitment; distributors demonstrated supply chain excellence and individuals shone as one.

Three new leaders were also inducted into the ARN Hall of Fame, in the form of Alex Gambotto, Felix Wong and Ken Boal.

Special thanks as always must go to a rapidly expanding judging panel - comprising of over 170 channel influencers - who dedicated time and energy to selecting the winners.

ARN congratulates all winners, finalists and nominees, and toasts the channel to a standout 2018.