METSTRADE is pleased to announce that 58 products from 28 countries have been nominated to enter the final rounds of assessment for the 33rd edition of the globally recognised DAME Design Awards. Winners will be announced on the first day of the show, 19 November.
Following intensive online scrutiny of entries, the DAME Design Award’s international jury – comprising nine leading design and user experts – gathered at RAI Amsterdam for hands-on assessment and discussion. For the first time, the Jury included a sustainability consultant and a master’s-level design student, adding fresh perspectives to the team’s broad expertise.
Two intensive days examining 114 submissions resulted in 58 products being selected for nomination. Winners for this year’s eight DAME categories will be selected from this group of nominees. One of those winners will be awarded the exclusive DAME Design Awards. The jury also confirmed it will announce a discretionary Environmental Design Award for the third year in succession.
Winners will be announced at the METSTRADE 2024 Breakfast Briefing in the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre on 19 November, following a keynote speech by Terry Hutchinson, the experienced Skipper and President of Operations for America’s Cup team NYYC American Magic. This year’s DAME Design Awards entry fees will be donated to SailWise, a Dutch provider of multi-day, water sports activities and holidays for people with physical or sensory disabilities.
All 58 DAME-nominated products will be showcased in a special display at METSTRADE, located in Hall 13 (Elicium) at the heart of the show. The METSTRADE Theatre will host a panel featuring this year’s DAME Design Awards outright winner. Additionally, details of nominees and winners will be included within the Jury Report on the DAME Design Awards website – damedesignawards.com.
Strong evidence of sustainability themes
Andre Hoek, chair of the DAME jury, says: “It was very encouraging to see such a strong field of entries spanning the whole of the leisure marine sector, with products for people and the smallest boats right up to high-end superyacht equipment. You can see accelerating trends among the entries, such as the move towards electrification. There were welcome examples too of how sustainable design and the evolution of alternative materials are gaining traction.
Despite these obvious priorities, the Jury were pleased to see many products where designers have also iteratively improved the user experience and taken advantage of latest technologies to meet emerging market demands. Smart design unlocks the door to a fully sustainable approach, not just for improvement in obvious areas like manufacturing and recyclability, but also longevity, usability and serviceability. Our congratulations to all companies who participated this year – we never take your efforts for granted.
“I am once again grateful for the significant efforts and expertise of our jury members, existing and newly appointed. There were several changes in the team for 2024. We welcomed electronics expert Ben Stein, to replace the invaluable input of Ben Ellison who retired from the Jury last year. Yacht designer Klaus Roeder was last on the DAME Jury in 2014 and kindly stepped in on behalf of ICOMIA’s Technical Manager Patrick Hemp.
In seeking to add to our sustainability expertise we couldn’t have wished for a better assessor of 114 environmental statements than Amy Munro. And Olaf Bouwens provided excellent fresh insights as a passionate sailor and second year TU Delft Master’s student in Integrated Product Design. We hope to announce further details over the next year about how we will build on this new programme to ensure we have younger generational perspectives balancing the older heads in our team.”
METSTRADE director Niels Klarenbeek adds: “From my own experience on the water, I know that well-designed marine equipment is essential for the enjoyment and safety of all participants. For 33 years, the DAME Design Awards have encouraged and inspired METSTRADE exhibitors and visitors to push the boundaries of exceptional design across all disciplines. Looking back, we can see just how much progress has been made. This year is no exception, with our DAME Jury reporting a range of excellently designed products that utilise both existing and emerging technologies to address key industry priorities such as sustainability and accessibility.”
“We look forward to showcasing this impressive group of nominees within the DAME Design Awards showcase in November and celebrating the winners at the METSTRADE Breakfast Briefing on 19 November.”