AMSTERDAM – The International Boat Industry and METSTRADE are extending their decade-long collaboration with headline sponsor Raymarine to produce the Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement contest.
The event highlights the annual Metstrade show, the largest global gathering for leisure marine professionals. It culminates in a celebratory dinner under the starlit canopy of Amsterdam’s National Maritime Museum on Wednesday, November 20.
The Boat Builder Awards spotlights the industry’s essential endeavors of boat-building companies, personnel, and allied trades. This 2024 awards program has opened for entries, with categories that draw intense event focus on three key pillars at the heart of future success: innovation, the environment, and people.
Metstrade Director Niels Klarenbeek underscores the important role of innovation in advancing boat building: “A decade ago,” he says, “IBI and Metstrade recognized an opportunity to spotlight sector pioneers. The awards have become a cornerstone of yacht building, showcasing remarkable winners. Their success is often achieved in partnership with Metstrade exhibitors. The awards continue to chart industry progress, navigating through changing tides with elegance and culminating in a memorable celebration of excellence during Metstrade.”
“The Boat Builder Awards’ first big anniversary provides plenty of reason to reflect on welcome progress,” adds Ed Slack, IBI’s Editorial Director.
“As our awards have highlighted, this was a foundation decade for many of the developments we see from boat manufacturers and the people that make it happen. Progress and innovation are all around us, and in anticipation of a record number of candidates for this year’s 10th anniversary, we’ve opened early for entries this year. It provides a six-month window for entrants and an opportunity for our judges to finish their assessment tasks as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing our most impressive line-up of nominees yet for this edition of the Boat Builder Awards.”
Since its inception, Raymarine has been the headline sponsor of the Boat Builder Awards. IBI and METSTRADE are pleased to announce the continuity of this strong partnership.
Raymarine General Manager Grégoire Outters, Raymarine’s General Manager, adds his company “is proud to celebrate 10 years as title sponsor of the Boat Builder Awards in 2024. This prestigious event serves as a beacon, shining light on the brightest talents and boldest ideas shaping the future of boating. Each year, we deepen our admiration for the dedication and ingenuity driving progress in maritime design and technology. Here’s to a decade of honoring excellence and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on the water.”
In 2024, awards will be presented in 11 categories with three industry priority themes – innovation, environment, and people. Responding to the fast pace of new launch activity with sustainability as a core focus, the Eco Boat of the Year award is in two categories this year, split for under and over 10m length overall.
The Retail Marketing Initiative, which celebrates exemplary projects driving industry sales, is returning to the lineup. The ‘People and Skills Development’ award’s remit has been broadened to include everything from one-off success with individuals to major industry training schemes and projects.
Entering the Boat Builder Awards is free. You can nominate on your behalf or send in entries for companies or people you think deserve recognition. Nominations are via a simple-to-use online form and open now until 27 September 2024.
To ensure judges have maximum time to evaluate entries, businesses are encouraged to submit their nominations as soon as possible.
Full details of the 11 award categories and how to nominate are available at www.ibinews.com/bba2024.
The best dinner date in Amsterdam is Wednesday, November 20. This is the date to save for the 2024 Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement, jointly run by IBI and Metstrade in association with Raymarine.
Tickets are on sale now at www.ibinews.com/bba2024. THE 2024 Cateries are:
- Breakthrough Launch of the Year – sponsored by HP Watermakers
- Innovative Design Solution – sponsored by Fusion
- Collaborative Solution between a Builder and its Supply Chain Collaboration
- Retail Marketing Initiative
- Sustainability Project of the Year – sponsored by ePropulsion
- Eco-focused Boat of the Year – under 10m loa
- Eco-focused Boat of the Year – over 10m loa
- Designer of the Year
- People and Skills Development
- Rising Star – sponsored by Lumishore
