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The NMMA and Boating Writers International (BWI) announced today the panel of judges set to evaluate product entries for the 2022 Miami Innovation Awards. As one of the industry’s most prestigious honors, the Innovation Awards recognize manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative products for the boating industry to market. 2022 award recipients will be announced during the Discover Boating® Miami International Boat Show’s® Industry Breakfast, taking place Thurs., Feb. 17 from 7:30 – 9:30 AM at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Grand Ballroom A.

Presented by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), the Industry Breakfast will feature a host of presentations focused on propelling the recreational boating industry forward. Show exhibitors, NMMA members and industry stakeholders can purchase tickets here; limited seating available – book now!

The Innovation Awards judges’ committee is comprised of seven BWI members who perform product testing throughout the year and have specific expertise in marine products and equipment. Judges for the 2022 Miami Boat Show Innovation Awards are:  

• Ben Stein (Chair): Stein is editor of Panbo.com covering the marine electronics industry. He serves as electronics editor for Power & Motoryacht and PassageMaker magazines and is a regular contributor to Soundings. After 15 years in financial services technology, he left the corporate world to pursue his passion in boating. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Ben has completed the Great Loop and currently lives aboard his boat with his wife and two daughters.
• Zuzana Prochazka (Co-Chair): Prochazka is a freelance writer and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen publications. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana has cruised, chartered, and captained vessels in most parts of the world and founded a flotilla charter company called Zescapes. She serves as an international presenter on charter destinations, safety issues, and technical topics. She is also the Executive Director of BWI.
• Alan Jones: During his 26 years as a marine journalist, Jones has tested more than a thousand boats and has done more than 600 boat reviews and video walkthroughs. He is a past president of BWI and currently sits on the board of directors.
• Lenny Rudow: Rudow is the Angler in Chief at FishTalk Magazine, a contributing editor to BoatU.S. Magazine, and contributes to numerous other marine publications. He is a past president of BWI and has been writing about boats, boating, and fishing for 30 years.
• Gary Reich: Reich is the editor-in-chief of Soundings Trade Only and the former managing editor and senior editor at Anglers Journal and Soundings magazines, respectively. Reich has worked in the marine industry for 30-plus years in a variety of marine industry roles both inside and outside of the publishing world.
• Frank Lanier: Capt. Lanier is a SAMS® Accredited Marine Surveyor with over 40 years of experience in the marine and diving industries. He’s also an author, public speaker and multiple award winning journalist whose articles on seamanship, marine electronics, vessel maintenance and consumer reports appear regularly in numerous marine publications worldwide.
• Ryan Gullang: Gullang is a college student currently enrolled in his final semester at St. Mary's College of Maryland. While completing his English degree, he's also been writing articles for FishTalk, PropTalk, SpinSheet, and Phlotilla. In 2021, he was the recipient of the BWI Active Interest Boating Media Journalist Scholarship and is now looking forward to starting a career in marine journalism.

The 2022 Miami Innovation Awards’ entrants will be judged across 22 product categories. All entrants and award winners will be on display throughout the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show. The following companies have submitted entries to the 2022 Miami Innovation Awards:

• ACR Electronics, Inc.*
• Allsalt Maritime*
• ASG - Advanced Systems Group*
• Atlantic Towers - St. Croix Marine Products*
• Awesome Lifts LLC*
• Azimut Benetti Spa - Azimut Yachts Div.*
• BRP, Inc. - Sea-Doo*
• Brunswick Aluminum Group - Lowe Boats*
• Brunswick Saltwater Fishing Group - Boston Whaler*
• Carling Technologies – Maretron*
• Chris-Craft Corp.*
• Dockmate, Inc.*
• e-Motion LLC
• Fluid Motion - Cutwater Boats*
• Global Ocean Security Technology (GOST)*
• Ilmor Marine LLC*
• Iris Innovations
• KVH Industries, Inc.*
• Locmarine Telematics LLC*
• Lumishore*
• Magma Products, LLC*
• Malibu Boats – Tennesee*
• MasterCraft Boat Holdings*
• Mercury Marine*
• Nautique Boat Company, Inc.*
• Orenco Systems
• Pleasurecraft Crusader - Ingenity Electric*
• Pursuit Boats*
• Raymarine, Inc.*
• Roswell Marine*
• Sea Ray Boats, Inc. – Corporate*
• Simrad-Navico*
• SiOnyx, LLC
• Solace Boats*
• Sunstream Boat Lifts*
• Thunderbird Products - Formula Boats*
• Torqeedo Inc.*
• U.S. Marine – Bayliner*
• U.S. Marine – Heyday*
• Yamaha Marine Group - Skeeter Boats*
• Yamaha WaterCraft Group*

*NMMA Member

For more information on the awards, visit MiamiBoatShow.com/en/exhibit/2022_miami_innovation_awards.html. For general questions please contact Rachel Harmon, [email protected]. For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Salvatori, [email protected].