The BIA runs two industry awards annually, the Sustainability in the Boating Industry Award, as well as the BIA Apprentice of the Year Awards
Nominations for each open in May with winners announced at the Sydney International Boat Show.
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Sustainability in the Boating Industry
The BIA Strategic Business Plan has a vision of a vibrant industry supporting boating as a standout choice in leisure activity for everyone; and values sustainability.
BIA launched the Sustainability in the Boating Industry Award in 2023, designed to recognise companies or individuals who have demonstrated outstanding efforts in promoting environmentally responsible practices within the boating industry.
2023 Award Winner
GoBoat won the inaugural Sustainability in the Boating Industry Award for 2023.GoBoat is an emerging electric boating brand in Australia and stood out as the deserving winner of the award. Their dedication to sustainability is evident across all aspects of their operations from design and construction, to 100% electric propulsion solutions and activation as hire and drive.
The hire and drive operation is attracting a youthful demographic who are sustainability savvy and keen to try new experiences in boats that are modern in concept, quite and clean, and operate at lower speeds that support safety and negate the need for a licence.
2023 Commendations
Commendations were also awarded to:Highly Commended
- Sail Exchange
- Mercury Marine ANZP
- Suzuki Australia
- Mountain Boats
- Steber International
- John Crawford Marine
- Groupe Beneteau
- Hullbot
- Sydney Superyacht Marina
Commended
2024 Awards
Nominations for the 2024 Award will open in May 2024.
Nominations are invited for outstanding achievements to the criteria as follows:- Reduction of waste and pollution
- Use of materials and manufacturing processes to reduce environmental impacts
- Contributing to emissions reduction
- Implementation of sustainable business practices
- Support for sustainability of waterways and aquatic life.
Note: nominations can be made to a single criterion or any combination of the above criteria.
Nominations should be headed Response to the Criteria and be no more than 500w and cover:
- How it responds to a singular criterion or multiple criteria (above)
- When the effort was initiated
- Why the effort was initiated
- Duration of the effort eg., has been running for X years/ months
- How many staff/ team members involved
- Quantify the outcome/ benefits eg., waste or emission reduction by volume, reduction in landfill etc
- The name and contact details of the person or business nominated to receive the award.
Additional supporting evidence including quality photographs and video can be provided as attachments to the Response to the Criteria.
Why does this Award matter?
A 2023 industry report into the expectations of younger boaters when buying a boat made the following points about sustainability:
- Younger consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainably made products
- The boating sector should consider emphasizing four factors that could help sway younger demographics:
- customer experience improvements,
- product ease-of-use enhancements,
- sustainability advances, and
- service integration and business-building initiatives
- Environmentally conscious younger consumers will expect decarbonization of manufacturing processes (perhaps coupled with manufacturers’ purchases of carbon offsets) and reduced emissions during vehicle operation (with electric propulsion a key selling point)
- Forty percent of millennials are concerned about the environmental impact of their boats (compared with 28 percent of Gen Xers and 24 percent of boomers)
- 60 percent of millennials would be interested in an alternatively fuelled recreational boat (compared with 45 percent of Gen Xers and 33 percent of boomers)
- Millennials are now the most populous consumer group in the United States (having surpassed boomers in 2019), and the research suggests they will remain the most substantial consumer set for recreational boats and vehicles until roughly 2036, when Gen Z is expected to overtake them.
So sustainability matters and so does boating. These are just some of the reasons the Sustainability in the Boating Industry Award will be announced at the Sydney International Boat Show.
The BIA Apprentice of the Year Award is designed to recognise both the outstanding contribution that apprentices provide to our industry and the importance of developing a strong future for training and careers within the marine industry.
The marine industry reported in 2023 a turnover of $9.64 billion and directly employed more than 25,000 people. With seventy-five per cent being small businesses, employing local workers and supporting local communities, the role apprentices have in the industry’s future is vital to ongoing success.
The winners of the Apprentice of the Year Awards are:
BIA Apprentice of the Year 2023 Beau Deathridge (Douglas Marine) BIA Apprentice of the Year 2022 Stefanie Mannering (Cruise Craft Boats) NSW Apprentice of the Year 2022 Joel Hecus (Callaghans Marine Service) Queensland Apprentice of the Year 2022 Stefanie Mannering The Apprentice of the Year is announced at the official opening of the Sydney International Boat Show, the celebration of all facets of boating in Australia and a key opportunity to recognise and reward the industry’s best new talents.
Entries for the 2023 Apprentice of the Year Awards are now open.