Don’t miss your entry to the Boat Builder Awards

This year’s Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement, organised by IBI and METSTRADE and held in association with Raymarine, closes on 2 October. The deadline for this year’s Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement, organised by IBI and METSTRADE in association with Raymarine, is fast approaching. Entries close on 2 October, so be sure to submit yours before it's too late!

Entry is free and there are 11 categories in which to nominate. Being named on the shortlist brings high profile recognition on the Boat Builder Awards showcase in the centre of METSTRADE – one the world’s largest gatherings of marine leisure professionals globally. Winning provides high profile recognition at the awards dinner at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam and year-long publicity opportunities.

To help you with your entry here are 10 top tips to help with a successful nomination.

 

1. What will give my entry the best of chances?

Please help the judges to understand why your boat, design, product, innovation, or person is the best of the entries we receive by providing plenty of fact-based information to support your claim.

The judging is predominantly undertaken online. All Boat Builder Awards judges are fluent in English, but some have that as a second language. Absolute clarity of nominations is vital. 

Please include: 

• a very clear explanation of what is being entered; and 
• an easily understood statement of why it should win.

The judges all have technical skillsets. Their understanding of the nomination works best if they are provided with logical information rather than subjective marketing-led statements.  Evidence-based facts will always be welcome. Videos and relevant accompanying information will be considered carefully in addition to written statements. It should be easy to add these to the entry portal. If you have any problems submitting material, please email boatbuilderawards@ibinews.com for assistance.

 

2. Where can I obtain guidance on the exact requirements for each category?

Please read the terms and conditions here – https://www.ibinews.com/bba2024/enter-now/terms-and-conditions

Should you have any questions at all please email boatbuilderawards@ibinews.com and we will be pleased to clarify the conditions for you.

 

3. I am an equipment manufacturer – can I enter the Boat Builder Awards myself?

Any marine professional can make a nomination but there are specific rules about which categories are valid for what types of businesses. Most are applicable only to boat builders and shipyards but there is a specific category where a business in the marine equipment sector can directly nominate itself – Collaborative Solution between a Builder and its Supply Chain Partner. You must jointly nominate yourself and your boat manufacturer partner.

Don’t forget that you can make nominations for the boats and processes that you have had input on and the people you are proud to work with. Your nomination will undoubtedly benefit the nominee as well as your own company if it progresses to be shortlisted.


 

4. I am an independent designer, trade association or training establishment – can I enter the Boat Builder Awards directly?

Yes – third party as well as in-house designers and design houses can nominate their efforts in the Designer of the Year category. Trade associations and training establishments are eligible to enter the People and Skills Development category.


 

5. How much does it cost to enter the Boat Builder Awards and how many nominations can I make? 

Nominations are free – there is no charge to enter. You can enter as many times as you like, but each entry must be unique and not a duplicate. No merit will be given to multiple entries for the same nomination (ie the judges will not consider multiple entries as ‘votes’). 

The same boat or initiative can be entered in multiple categories provided that the nominations comply with the terms for each category. Nominations must offer relevant statements and information for each category (ie not duplicate entries posted against multiple categories). 

 

6. Will the judges physically examine every entry?

Our judges have wide exposure to the industry and hence it is likely they may have viewed boats, equipment and facilities that are nominated. This helps inform the process during our judgement meetings. However, the judges will primarily make their decisions based on your online entry and its accompanying submissions and videos.

 

7. Does the Boat Builder Awards favour larger boat builders and shipyards?

No. The Boat Builder Awards wants to raise the profile of best-of-the-best nominations from the worldwide sector, irrespective of scale. Every qualifying entry is judged on its own merits, from micro businesses right through to global conglomerates. 


 

8. Is there any benefit in entering early?

Entries close on 2 October 2024. We will however start supplying them details of advanced entries earlier in the month. Having an early entry is no guarantee of success, but it will provide judges more time to consider the full details of your nomination.

 

9. Does your system auto save my entry as I go along, and can I check if my entry has been received?

There’s no auto-save. We suggest preparing your entry offline and then submitting it in one session. If you prematurely hit submit and need to resubmit the whole entry, then please do so. In the event we see duplicate entries we will typically take the latest one as the nomination for consideration. 

You will receive an automated confirmation email with details of your entry after submission. Do please check your spam folder just in case you cannot find it. If in any doubt, please contact us at boatbuilderawards@ibinews.com

 

10.I think I made a mistake – can I amend my entry?

Yes, nominations can be amended up until 2 October if required. To do so, please check the entry you made on the confirmation email we sent you. If you do need to make an amend, please send the corrections to boatbuilderawards@ibinews.com.


 

Enter today

Please visit  https://www.ibinews.com/bba2024/enter-now and make your entry by 2 October 2024. We look forward to receiving it.