On the evening of 8 June, GW CEO Wolfgang Niessner presented the 2008 Challenger of the Year awards in Hittisau.

Along with the usual categories of European Land Transport, Domestic Transport and Air & Sea, this year’s roll of honour also included a new classification – the CEEC Champion of 2008. In addition, two areas of achievement first introduced last year were also on the agenda this time around – Logistics Solution and Highest Improvement. The winning team in the Most Acclaimed Project category was selected by the audience on the basis of the loudest applause.
Challenger of the Year 2008, and therefore overall winner, was once again GW Maria Lanzendorf.

In the Air & Sea category, Air & Sea Wolfurt were able to assert their pre-eminence. The Challenger was presented to Markus Röthlin. Runners-up were WR China represented on the evening by Walter Schneider for Yongquan Chen. Also 2nd-placed WOAC sent Vojislav Jevtic up on stage to receive their certificate. First prize for Logistics Solutions went to GW MLD, with Andreas Zwerger accepting the award. Michael Wohlgenannt came forward to receive the second prize on behalf of GW Lauterach. Taking third place in this category were GW Hall/Wörgl, with Hannes Mayr stepping up to the rostrum.

GW Czech Republic took gold in the Highest Improvement category, with Harald Prohaska coming forward to accept the award; the silver and bronze Challenger awards were received by Markus Röthlin (Air & Sea West) and Michael Wohlgenannt (GW Lauterach) respectively. As was the case last year, the winning team in the Most Acclaimed Project category was selected on the evening itself by gauging the level of applause from the audience. For 2008, this was the "Development of the romanian net", with Viorel Leca and Thomas Moser being called forward to claim the award.

A new category this time round was the CEEC Champion of 2008, the first ever winners being GW Czech Republic; once again, Harald Prohaska stepped up to accept the prize. Air & Sea Slovakia and Air & Sea Czech Republic were delighted with their second and third-place awards which were accepted in both cases by Jochen Uray.