July 2026 WATERLINE | 37 MARINA OF THE YEAR AWARDS MARINA OF THE YEAR AWARDS - WHY ENTER? By Andrew Chapman AM CMM, President Marina Industries Association The 2027 Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards will be presented at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron on Tuesday 4 May 2027. With a refreshed line-up of ten categories and a streamlined entry and judging process, there has never been a better time to put your marina, boatyard, business or team forward. Entries have now opened so it's time to start thinking about your submission. As the industry awards have been run and won again, I hear you say, why bother….. well, that’s an easy answer. Industry awards are an opportunity to focus on your business operation from the outside looking in. The awards will usually have different categories and very specific criteria – and that is the secret. The criteria are critical for any award submission as this alone is what the judges will focus on. Your answers in relation to the criteria used in the question are key to your chances of success. So, choose your appropriate category and focus on the question, because the judges will focus on the criteria that you are required to meet. Choose the most appropriate and emotive images to influence the judges, especially if it’s a desktop judging panel. If it’s an onsite judging, that opens more opportunities to leave the judge with lasting impressions of how your marina facility excels when dealing with its customers. Be vigilant in understanding all stages of judging, as there may be a mystery shopper process that audits how your team handle customer enquiries over the phone or online. Many awards can be won or lost at this point, so it’s important that your whole team are involved and that you have trained your team in the appropriate way to handle enquiries. It’s important that staff handling enquiries meet the needs of your potential customers and that all enquiries are handled in a timely manner and the information required is professionally transferred. Knowledge and training are important in this area. This is also the case if you utilise a chatbot or online search information. The process of entering the awards, gathering the data and completing the analysis required to answer the questions forces you to spend time analysing the business, not working the business. This can be very enlightening, as you may analyse data that you have never gathered previously. This can help you home in on areas that may present as opportunities or identify areas needing more focus. It’s great if you win an award or are acknowledged as a finalist, but don’t give up if you’re not successful on your first attempt. See what others are doing in the marketplace and try again next time. If you do win, make sure you share the award with your whole team. It’s usually not the individual who creates the awardwinning product or service. Further, it’s not only your staff who can claim attachment to the award – it may be tenants, contractors and customers who share ownership in your awardwinning marina. WHAT’S NEW FOR 2027 Following a review of the awards program, the 2027 cycle introduces several changes designed to keep the awards relevant, competitive and rewarding to enter: • A new Outstanding Initiative Award. This consolidated, flexible award recognises leadership in innovation, sustainability and community engagement, allowing judges to focus on quality and merit across a range of themes. • A simplified judging process. A consistent panel will assess entries on the strength of submissions and supporting materials. • A revised Hall of Fame policy. The exclusion period has been adjusted from six years (three cycles) to four years (two cycles), encouraging ongoing engagement from previous winners. • Earlier entries and a clear eligibility window. Entries are open now, and submissions should relate to activities, projects or initiatives undertaken between July 2025 and February 2027. CATEGORIES FOR 2027 1. Commercial Marina of the Year Award Under 140 boats 2. Commercial Marina of the Year Award Over 140 boats 3. Club of the Year Award 4. International Marina of the Year Award 5. Boatyard of the Year Award Under 20 boats 6. Boatyard of the Year Award over 20 boats 7. Drystack Storage Facility of the Year Award 8. Outstanding Initiative Award 9. Marina Industry Woman of the Year Award 10. Marina Industry Emerging Talent Award - under 35 years MIA HALL OF FAME Winners of two consecutive award competitions in any of categories 1-7 will not be eligible to enter the Awards competition for any of categories 1-7 for a period of four (4) years. The judging panel will consider the facility for entry into the MIA Hall of Fame More information and full entry criteria: marinas.net.au/about/2027-marina-ofthe-year-awards EVENT DETAILS AT A GLANCE EVENT 2027 Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards VENUE Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron DATE Tuesday 4th May 2027 ENTRIES OPEN Open Now! ELIGIBILITY PERIOD Activities, projects or initiatives undertaken between July 2025 - February 2027
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