IBEX Announces Judges for Innovation Awards

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) announced the list of judges for the 2022 IBEX Innovation Awards Program. The program is managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI). Awards will be presented during the annual Industry Breakfast, Keynote, and Innovation Awards presentation, held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., September 27, at the Tampa Marriott Water Street, Grand Ballroom. All products submitted to the IBEX Innovation Awards will be displayed along Innovation Way located on the 2nd floor rotunda of the Tampa Convention Center throughout the Show.

Honoring achievements in new product development in 15 areas of the marine industry, Innovation Awards categories include: Boat Care and Maintenance; Boatbuilding Methods and Materials; Boatyard and Marina Hardware and Software; Deck Equipment and Hardware; Electric Motor/Battery Powered Propulsion/Hybrids; Electrical Systems; Entertainment; Furnishings and Interior Parts; Inboard Engines; Mechanical Systems; OEM Electronics; Outboard Engines; Propulsion Parts, Propellers; Safety Equipment; and Trailers, Parts and Trailer Accessories. Companies that are participating in the 2022 IBEX Innovation Awards program can be reviewed on the IBEX website.

Each of the eight BWI judges comes to IBEX with a different technical background and boating experience. The panel of judges for the 2022 IBEX Innovation Awards are:

• Zuzana Prochazka (chair) is a freelance writer and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen publications.
• Ben Stein (co-chair) is editor of Panbo.com covering the marine electronics industry. He also serves as electronics editor for Power & Motoryacht and PassageMaker magazines and is a regular contributor to Soundings.
• Julia Carleton is the Operations Manager at OceanPlanet Energy, a consulting and distribution company specializing in lithium battery and charging systems as well as custom solar solutions.
• Steve Davis is the editor-in-chief of Southern Boating magazine and is a BWI board member and judge for the BWI writing contest.
• Ryan Gullang is a freelance writer, recent college graduate, and former recipient of the BWI Active Interest Boating Media Journalist Scholarship. Alongside working as the Editorial Assistant for Phlotilla.com, Gullang has been writing articles for FishTalk, SpinSheet, PropTalk, and Boats.com.
• Phil Gutowski founded the battery-powered air conditioning company, BoatRx.
• Tim Murphy is a lifelong sailor and USCG licensed 100 Ton Master who has authored or co-authored books including Use of the Sea, Fundamentals of Marine Service Technology and ABYC marine trades certification guides.
• Ed Sherman is a semi-retired ABYC Education vice president and is the author or co-author of five technical how-to books covering marine service and repair.