Innovation Awards. Innovation Awards Overview & Judging Criteria The NMMA Innovation Awards can be entered by marine suppliers who are introducing new products which meet the following criteria: • Have innovative distinction from other products currently manufactured in the marine industry • Have substantial modification or adaptation to the marine market if the product is an extension from a non-marine or general market • Provide benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer • Provide practicality of use • Are cost-effective Products are evaluated in various categories which change with the show at which the products are featured. Below are the three NMMA shows at which Innovation Awards are presented: MAATS Innovative Products Categories (aftermarket products): • Interior Parts (seating, lighting, galley, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, etc.) • Aftermarket Electronics (navigation, instrumentation, sonar, entertainment equipment, hardware and software, etc.) • Electrical Systems & Equipment (AC/DC onboard and shore power systems, batteries and battery management tools, electrical control apparatus, etc.) • Boat Care, Coatings, Chemicals & Maintenance Tools • Deck Equipment (rigging, rope, docking & anchoring equipment, boat covers, canvas work, mooring gear, etc.) • Propulsion Parts & Propellers (engine equipment, trim tabs, trolling motors, engine oils and other engine maintenance products) • Personal Gear & Soft Goods • Safety Products (all safety products that can be added aftermarket) • Trailers, Parts & Trailer Accessories • Water Sports & Equipment (fun, non-safety related products, dinghies, inflatables, fishing products, etc.) In addition: An Environmental Award may be given for any product (entered in any category) that provides an environmental benefit in the marine market. This is NOT a category that can be entered, and products will be selected from all products entered, regardless of category. IBEX Innovative Products Categories (trade and/or OEM products): • Boatbuilding Methods & Materials (techniques and equipment to build boats) • Hardware Fittings (anchors, deck equipment & machinery, passerelle/crane, steering mechanisms and wheels, etc.) • Furnishings & Finishes (appliances, furniture, lighting, textiles, interior paints and finishes, etc.) • Mechanical Systems (air conditioning, heating, plumbing, pumps, tanks and fuel systems, etc.) • Electrical Systems (AC/DC onboard and shore power systems, batteries, electrical control and monitoring apparatus, etc.) • OEM Electronics & Electronic Systems (entertainment, navigational, onboard systems, yacht management software, etc.) • Inboard Engines (sterndrives, jet drives, propulsion systems, props, struts and shafts, etc.) • Outboard Engines (outboard systems and props for outboards) • Boatyard Hardware (yard installed boat lifts, cranes, docks, marina equipment, software for management programs, inventory and job flow, etc.) In addition: An Environmental Award may be given for any product (entered in any category) that provides an environmental benefit in the marine market. This is NOT a category that can be entered, and products will be selected from all products entered, regardless of category. Miami Innovative Products Categories (consumer products): • Runabouts & Fishing Craft to 24’ • Inboard Powered Cruisers 25’ to 140’ including fishing craft • PWC, Jet boats, Pontoon Boats • Inflatables, Small Boats up to 15’ & Tenders • Sailboats (mono, multi-hull) • Docking & Fendering Equipment (owner installed docks, boatwhips, boatlifts, davits, cranes, fenders or fendering systems, etc.) • Consumer Electronics & Software • Consumer Personal Gear, Soft Goods & Safety Products (clothing, sunglasses, personal gear safety equipment, etc.) • Consumer Installed Non-Electronic Hardware (equipment must be non-electronic and may be deck equipment such as anchors, BBQs, blocks, winches/winch handles or interior hardware such as screens, vents, etc.) In addition: An Environmental Award may be given for any product (entered in any category) that provides an environmental benefit in the marine market. This is NOT a category that can be entered, and products will be selected from all products entered, regardless of category. This award may not be given depending on products available. For more information on rules and guidelines for the NMMA Innovation Awards, click here and you’ll be directed to the NMMA website. Products Noted for Innovations at 2009 Miami Show Seven marine manufacturers were honored for innovative achievement by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and BWI at the 2009 68th Annual Miami International Boat Show. The Innovation Awards, organized by NMMA and judged by BWI, recognize products that best meet the following criteria: Innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured; benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; practicality; cost-effectiveness; and availability to the consumer within 60 days of award receipt. “We had an exceptional bank of entries this year, with a total of 41 products entered in eight categories,” says Zuzana Prochazka, Miami Innovation Awards chair, member of the BWI Board of Directors and staff writer for Latitudes & Attitudes magazine. “The judges were impressed with the products entered and able to recognize winners in six categories, including an Environmental Award and two ‘Honorable Mentions.’” In addition to Prochazka, BWI members rounding out the judging panel include: Charles J. Doane, editor-at-large for SAIL magazine; Alan Jones, executive editor of Boating World magazine; Jan Mundy, co-founder and editor of DIY Boat Owner magazine; Lenny Rudow, author and freelance writer for Marlin, Salt Water Sportsman, Boating World and Chesapeake Bay magazines; Tim Queeney, editor of Ocean Navigator magazine; and, Alan Wendt, editor, Marine CEO and Adventures magazines. Miami Innovation Awards were presented to the following companies in these categories: Consumer Electronics & Software: Simrad Broadband Radar BR-24. The BR-24’s low power requirements, low emissions and enhanced short-range resolution deliver state of the art radar performance. Judge Tim Queeney comments, “This is the most significant advance in radar since World War II.” Honorable Mention: CrossRate eLGPS 1110. The eL GPS 1110 was recognized for its innovative blend of Loran and GPS technology. Consumer Installed Non-Electronic Hardware: Vetus Easy Tank. The Easy Tank has the flexibility of a bladder, but the durability of an integrated metal or fiberglass tank. Judge Jan Mundy adds, “This is perfect for a retrofit or for those seeking additional potable and waste water storage.” Inboard & Outboard Power Cruisers (Co-Winners): Aspen Power Catamarans L80 Launch. The L80’s radical asymmetric hull design uses a single engine to significantly improve fuel economy. Judge Lenny Rudow notes, “When was the last time you saw a 26’ boat that could break 20 knots with a single 110hp engine and boast a 3,000 mile range?” (Co-Winner): Marlow 70E. The 70E’s unique and proprietary laminating process, known as Full Stack Infusion, allows an open concept interior design without additional structural farming and employs numerous environmentally-friendly techniques. Judge Alan Wendt states, “This yacht is an impressive blend of innovation and craftsmanship.” Inboard & Outboard Power Cruisers (Honorable Mention): Boston Whaler 280. The 280 was recognized for its integrated hardtop, console and windshield system and convertible seating. PWC, Jet Boats & Pontoon Boats: Sea Doo GTX iS PWC. The GTX iS PWC’s active suspension and first on-water braking system puts it in a class of its own. Judge Alan Jones, after riding it through a three-foot chop says, “It’s good enough to make an average rider, like me, feel like a pro and it allowed me to get out of bed the next day without a backache.” Runabouts & Fishing Craft to 24’: Mako 18 Light Tackle Skiff. The LTS Rapid Planing System’s unique rear vent enables low speed, shallow water planing with no bow rise. Judge Rudow says, “This boat gets out of the hole quickly in skinny water and does so at an affordable price.” Environmental Award: Island Pilot DSE 12m Hybrid. The judges found this design to be a positive step for the boating industry and alternative energy propulsion systems with its Steyer hybrid engines and vast solar array. Judge Prochazka notes, “This is a boat for those who want to be self-sufficient on the hook for extended periods, while staying ‘green’ and keeping all the onboard toys.” For the complete release, visit http://maats.nmma.org/news/news.asp?id=17636&sid=3; for details contact Kelly Kaylor, kkaylor@nmma.org; 312-946-6262. Products Honored For Innovation at MAATS 2008 Six marine aftermarket products were honored in mid-July 2008 for innovative achievement by the NMMA and BWI at the 8th annual Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show (MAATS) in Las Vegas. Awards, organized by NMMA and judged by BWI, recognize those products that best meet the following criteria: Innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured; benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; practicality; cost-effectiveness; and availability to the consumer within 60 days of the show’s conclusion. A total of 60 new products were entered in eight categories for this years’ MAATS awards program. “Judges take their jobs evaluating entries very seriously, spending hours reviewing and referencing submitted materials and cross-checking facts,” says Jan Mundy, Innovation Awards chair and editor of DIY Boat Owner magazine. “This years’ selection process was the most intense I’ve seen since I first began participating in the awards program.” Additional BWI members nominated to the judging panel this year include: Charles Doane, editor-at-large, Sail; Ben Ellison, electronics editor of Power & Motoryacht and author of the electronics blog Panbo.com; Alan Jones, executive editor, Boating World; Zuzana Prochazka, staff writer, Latitudes & Attitudes; Randy Vance, editor-in-chief, Boating Life; and Alan Wendt, editor, Marine CEO. In Aftermarket Electronics, the award goes to the Broadband Sounder 1 from Lowrance-Navico. “This device brings high performance fish finding to smaller boats and smaller wallets,” said Ellison. An Honorable Mention was presented to a second Lowrance innovation: The LVR-880 fixed radio. This is the first dual VHF and FM radio that also integrates NMEA 2000 with DSC for distress and buddy-tracking. In Boat Care/Coating/Chemicals and Maintenance Tools, awarded was Re-Structure Marine Polish from Mark Silvey Marine Services. This non-petroleum, water-based penetrating polish uses nano technology to clean and protect gelcoat, metal, paint, plastic, vinyl and other hard surfaces. “Easily hand applied without buffing, this product will change the way boaters maintain their boats,” said Mundy. The Wrino Boat Mooring System from Anzus is this years’ winner in the Deck Equipment category. Not just another boat hook, “Every inch is carefully engineered to facilitate docking—whether securing a dock line to a cleat, lassoing a piling or grabbing a mooring buoy,” said Wendt. An Honorable Mention was given to Eclipse Marine Products for its T-Top Extender. Winner in Interior Parts is the Dry Boat from Delta T Systems, a DC powered dehumidifier system that uses Peltier thermo-electric cooling technology, one-third the size of a conventional unit. “This device employs technology that promises to revolutionize interior climate control in boats,” said Doane. Honorable Mention in this category went to the Comfort-Mate toilet from Thetford Marine. In Safety Products the Aqualuma Brakelight System took honors for its LED light system that automatically signals when the operator releases the throttle for at least one-half second and a manually activated SOS mode lets users signal for assistance. “This light addresses one of the largest causes of collisions between PWCs and helps riders prevent them,” said Vance. The GlobalFix iPRO 406 EPIRB from ACR received an Honorable Mention. Cequent Performance’s F2 2000 was winner in the Trailer Parts & Accessories category. This full-featured winch addresses the various shortcomings of conventional trailer winches. “Cequent rethought every aspect of the trailer winch and improved it significantly,” said Prochazka. Honorable Mention was given to theft deterrent device, The Big Stick from How Do We Do It. For more information on MAATS or the Innovation Awards program, visit www.nmma.org/maats; contact Kathleen Clickett at (312) 946-6252; kclickett@nmma.org.