NMEA Invites Submissions for Manufacturer of the Year Awards

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) will honor a wide variety of products—20 in all in three separate competitions—at the NMEA Conference & Expo, to be held September 18 to 22, at the Doubletree Universal Hotel in Orlando, Florida. NMEA invites all manufacturers to submit nominations by July 21. NMEA will also name winners in two categories for the Manufacturer of the Year based on the size of the company.  

NMEA members will be able to name two Manufacturer of the Year awards, an award newly established in 2022, based on the size of the manufacturer company. Manufacturer Level 3 is for large companies with 50 or more employees, and manufacturer Level 1 & 2 includes small to midsize companies with 50 or fewer employees. All NMEA manufacturer member companies are automatically entered into these categories and will be voted on by the membership.  

NMEA members will be able to vote on products for the Product of Excellence Awards in the following categories: Marine VHF, Satellite TV Antenna, Radar, Fishfinder, Satellite Communications Antenna, Marine Camera, Multi-Function Display, AIS, Multimedia Entertainment, Autopilot, NMEA 2000 Sensor, Remote Monitoring, Marine PC Software, Wi-Fi/Cellular Device, Marine AppUtility, Safety Device, Marine Specialty Product, and Commercial Product.  

NMEA member manufacturers must submit nominations for the Product of Excellence Awards by July 21 through the NMEA website. NMEA will send several reminders to all member manufacturers regarding this specific deadline.  

The Best New Product Award honors one marine electronics product that is introduced to the market— both United States and international—for the first time at the NMEA Conference & Expo. The products cannot be rebranded products and must be manufactured by the exhibiting manufacturer at the expo. The winning product will be judged based on innovation, benefit to boaters, practicality, and value.  

The NMEA Technology Award honors one marine electronics product introduced to the market during the past two years that scores highest in innovation, benefit to boaters, practicality, and value. The products cannot be rebranded products and must be manufactured by the exhibiting manufacturer at the expo.  

An independent judging panel will name the winner of both the Best New Product Award and Technology Award. The panel, consisting of two NMEA members, along with two marine journalists, will pay 10-minute visits to all entrants’ booths during expo hours to hear descriptions of the product and ask questions. All the awards will be presented at the NMEA Conference & Expo Awards Banquet on September 21, at the Doubletree Universal Hotel in Orlando. For more information, contact Mark Reedenauer at 410-975-9425, or email info@nmea.org