Nominations for the 2016 Auto Rental News Professional of the Year Awards are open, to be given once again at Auto Rental Summit. But this year there are a few changes.

For 2016, a new Professional of the Year Award will be presented in a new vendor category. The criteria for this award will be judged based on customer service, operations management, sales, leadership, and industry and community involvement for an associate from a vendor company to the auto rental industry.

Additionally, the award categories for operators — previously issued to an associate from a corporate, franchise, and independent location — will now be bestowed on one winner from any of those categories.

“The Professional of the Year Awards honor associates who demonstrate and promote outstanding customer satisfaction and leadership,” said Chris Brown, executive editor of Auto Rental News. “This year, we’re delighted to include the full spectrum of the car rental community — not only associates in car rental operations but those at vendor companies that serve a vital role in this industry.”

Click here to fill out an application for the 2016 Professional of the Year Awards for operators and vendors, view the prospectuses, and access a link to news coverage of last year’s winners. The deadline for applications is Sept. 12, 2016.

A panel of five judges will evaluate entries based on five areas of performance criteria: customer service, operations management, sales, leadership, and industry and community involvement. The judges are: Sharon Faulkner, executive director of the American Car Rental Association; Leslie Pujo, attorney at Plave Koch PLC; Ziad Khoury, founder and president of the Frontline Performance Group; Jim Tennant, principal of The Tennant Group; and Chris Brown, executive editor of Auto Rental News.

Winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony during the fifth annual Auto Rental Summit on Oct. 24-25, 2016 at the B Resort & Spa near Orlando, Fla. The winners will also be featured in an article in Auto Rental News magazine and online at www.AutoRentalNews.com.