Tonnie Spijkerbosch Memorial Industry Champion Award

The Tonnie Spijkerbosch Memorial Industry Champion Award recognises an outstanding holiday park leader/s who is/are driving real impact, both within their park and across the wider industry. Open to individuals or couples in leadership or supporting roles, this award celebrates those who are shaping the success of their park and actively contributing to the future of the holiday park sector.

This award is in memory of Tonnie Spijkerbosch, who was a visionary in New Zealand’s holiday park industry, known for his boundless creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep commitment to sustainability.

A Dutch immigrant and master plumber, Tonnie co-founded Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde in 1988 – New Zealand’s first dedicated campervan park. His imaginative “plumbing art” and eco-conscious designs turned the park into a celebrated destination. Tonnie’s legacy lives on through his inventive spirit, his generosity, and the countless lives he touched in the tourism and holiday park community.

The winner of this award will be announced at the Holiday Park Awards on 30 July 2026 and receives a trophy to keep.

What the Judges are looking for

Judges are looking for someone who truly gives their all to the holiday park industry – not necessarily someone in a formal leadership role, but someone who leads by example and makes a real difference through their dedication and passion. This could be a park owner, a manager, or someone in a supporting role; what matters is that they bring a strong ethos and values to everything they do and are a respected presence in their park and the wider industry.
In terms of achievements, judges aren’t focused on metrics or buzzwords, they want to see genuine impact and a person who gets things done. Active involvement in the industry, whether through events, conferences, or contributions to the sector’s growth, is important. Above all, this award is about recognising the person who puts their heart into their work and inspires those around them.

Eligibility

This award is open to individuals or couples. Group submissions of more than two people will not be accepted.
The nominee/s must have been in the holiday park industry for more than 8 years (commenced work in a holiday park role before January 01, 2018).
This award is by nomination only. This can be a colleague, employer or wider industry connection.
Nominee/s must be actively employed in a Holiday Parks at the time of the New Zealand Holiday Parks Awards winner announcement.
The Award is open to those in a park leadership role or supporting role, including park owners (one or multiple parks), autonomous managers, or operations managers overseeing multiple parks or a park group.

Supporting Material

Supporting material (optional) in PDF format can be submitted to support any/all of the criteria for the award. This material should be supplementary to your entry. This should be one document and not exceed 5 pages. It can include links to websites, online documents or video content (max. three minutes).
A career summary or CV (optional) can be uploaded. This should be a maximum of 2 pages.
A headshot of the nominee/s is required.
The names of two referees, including their contact email and phone number. If selected as a finalist, the referees may be contacted by a member of the judging panel. The referees must include one contact within the current employer/organisation and one external contact who can illustrate the applicant’s industry contribution and leadership.

Entries close at midnight, 9 June 2026

Tonnie Spijkerbosch Memorial Industry Champion Award

The entry form allows you to start and continue later. Just select the button at the bottom of the page. You will be sent a link to pick up where you left off.

1Nominator Details

2Nominee Details

3Award Entry

4Supporting Material

Nominator Details

Please fill out the details of the person completing this nomination.

Name(Required)

First Last

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

Company/Park(Required)

Relationship to nominee/s(Required)

Award Questions

PERSONAL STATEMENT (up to 200 words)(Required)

This should be a short statement about the nominee/s and include their dedication to the Holiday Park industry and what drives their passion for it. It should outline what key roles have they held, and what their current role involves in terms of responsibility and accountability. It should outline what key roles have they held, and what their current role involve in terms of responsibility and accountability.

LEADERSHIP & CAREER (up to 200 words)(Required)

This section should cover the highlights of the nominee/s holiday park industry career to date, including how their career has progressed and the direct impact they have had on park outcomes. Describe what their contribution and commitment looks like in practice and outline any roles they have undertaken within their business, the wider industry, or their community. Most importantly, tell us what sets them apart - what have they done that demonstrates an exceptional commitment to their park, their team, and the industry as a whole.

ACHIEVEMENTS & RESULTS (up to 200 words)(Required)

This section should make the case for why your nominee/s deserves to win this award. Tell us about the initiatives, decisions, or actions they have taken that have directly driven better outcomes for their park and share any evidence of that impact. Describe how they have improved the visitor experience and park operations, and what difference that has made. Include any innovations or improvements they have introduced and highlight any community initiatives they have led or been a driving force behind. In short, paint a picture of the real-world difference the nominee/s have made.

INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTION (up to 200 words)(Required)

This section should reflect how your nominee/s contributes to the holiday park industry beyond their own park. Tell us how they have championed the sector within their region or nationally, and how they have actively supported its growth and success. Include any industry events, conferences, associations, or initiatives they have been involved in and in what capacity. If they have taken on any leadership or representative roles within the wider industry or their community, we'd love to hear about those too.

Supporting Material

Some supporting material is encouraged and can be submitted to support any/all of the questions for the award.

Supporting Documentation (optional)

This material should be supplementary to your entry. This should be one document and not exceed 5 pages. It can include links to websites, online documents or video content (max. three minutes). Entrants can provide up to 10MB of supporting material in PDF format.

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB.

Career Summary (optional)

Please upload a career summary or CV (maximum of 2 pages) for the nominee/s

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB.

Headshot(Required)

A headshot is required of the nominee/s. Please ensure that this is a high resolution image.

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, tiff, Max. file size: 15 MB, Max. files: 4.

Referee Details

If selected as a finalist, the referees may be contacted by a member of the judging panel. The referees must include one contact within the current employer/organisation and one external contact who can illustrate the industry contribution and leadership.

Referee # 1 Name(Required)

First Last

Referee # 1 Phone(Required)

Referee # 1 Email(Required)

Referee # 1 Relationship to Nominee/s(Required)

Referee # 2 Name(Required)

First Last

Referee # 2 Phone(Required)

Referee # 2 Email(Required)

Referee # 2 Relationship to Nominee/s(Required)

Unique ID