Excellent quality and diversity at this year's DAME Awards

by Sigrid van der Wel 19 Oct 2017 16:26 BST 19 October 2017

DAME Design Award © DAME

The Jury of the globally acclaimed DAME Design Award 2017 competition is pleased to announce that 64 products from a total field of 122 entries have been nominated to enter the final round.

To reach this stage is a notable achievement, one which is acknowledged by the creation of a special DAME 2017 display area during the METSTRADE Show itself. Visitors will be able to see the very broad diversity of submissions, with products that will be used on all sizes of watercraft, from stand up paddleboards through to superyachts, with equipment prices ranging from just €3 to six figures.

This year's entry of 122 products from 22 countries shows the continued growth of interest in the DAME Awards. The quality of the entries also continues to increase, as DAME Jury Chairwoman Birgit Schnaase explains:

"I'm very positive about what we are seeing at the 2017 edition of the DAME as we have so many good entries to judge. The overall standard has improved again compared to last year's entries, and there were many items of interest for all aspects of naval architecture, exterior styling and interior design. Our strong team of new and existing Jury members applied their expert knowledge and experience, and engaged in fruitful debate. We have had quite a few detailed discussions on the products themselves and the effect that we think they will have within the future of the marine industry."

"The marine sector's end users are changing – older and younger generations often have different ideas about what they want from a boat and their marine equipment, with younger people often forgoing their own boat and preferring more accessible products. Wealthier customers' tastes are diverging even more from those of other users. We are seeing welcome evidence that products are being developed to address these market changes."

The DAME winners will be announced during the Breakfast Briefing on the opening day of the METSTRADE Show 2017, which will take place at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre from 14 to 16 November.

About the DAME Award

Now in their 27th edition, the DAME Awards are unrivalled in their ability to promote a wide range of marine equipment design, stimulating everything from aesthetics to functionality, integration to packaging, and price efficiency to lifecycle management. There is a steady stream of new and exciting products for the Jury to examine: this reflects the successes achieved by exhibitors at the METSTRADE Show as they continue to push boundaries and work to match the ever-increasing expectations of the marine industry's customers and its supply chain.

In its assessments, the Jury seeks to emphasise the importance of design for all kinds of marine products. The DAME Jury also considers the expected impact of the entries on the marine industry at large, their suitability for the intended purpose, the level of innovation, cost, ease of use or installation, and environmental impact. The overall winner and up to seven category winners are chosen from the nominated entries. Products that do not win any awards outright but are considered exceptional are given a Special Mention.

DAME Winners showcased at the METSTRADE Show 2017

The nominated and winning products will be on display at a dedicated stand in the I-nnovationLAB, and all the winning companies will present their products on the I-nnovationLAB Stage in Hall 6.

DAME categories

The shortlisted products are divided into seven categories:

Marine electronics and related software
Interior equipment, furnishings, materials and electrical fittings used in cabins
Marina equipment, boatyard equipment and boat construction tools & materials
Deck equipment, sails and rigging
Clothing and crew accessories
Lifesaving and safety equipment
Machinery, propulsion, mechanical and electrical systems & fittings

DAME Jury 2017

Several DAME Jury members completed their term in 2016 and were replaced by experts such as the renowned naval architect and boat designer Olivier Racoupeau and multidisciplinary designer Davide Cipriani from Centrostiledesign. Two guest Jury members were welcomed to the panel – Klaus Röder of Carpe Diem Yacht Design and freelance technical journalist David Marsh.

Birgit Schnaase took over the DAME Awards chair from Bill Dixon, who thus concluded his successful time at the helm. Schnaase is no stranger to DAME, having first joined the Jury in 2012, and provided valuable insight from her 22 years of experience as an engineer and interior designer working on notable yacht, aircraft and house interior design projects.

This year's DAME Jury is made up of nine leading industry experts: