Call for entries: Design Award METS - DAME 2010

The cut-off deadline for the prestigious DAME 2010 is fast approaching. Companies wishing to enter products should complete the online application by September 20, 2010. All products entered for the competition must be displayed at METS or the SuperYacht Pavilion (SYP) in 2010 and comply with the rules of participation. Entries are put on show in the special DAME Presentation in the Elicium.

The DAME has been awarded annually for products in specific marine categories since 1991. The DAME (Design Award METS) – the most prestigious design competition for new marine equipment and accessories in the world – celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2010. Over the past two decades, an independent panel of judges have assessed all entries. For the past three years, applicants have also contributed to worthy causes, as METS organiser Amsterdam RAI donates the registration fee for every product submitted to a designated charity.

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The DAME charity
For 2010, all proceeds will go to the Whisper Boat Building Academy (WBBA) of South Africa, which helps deaf, previously disadvantaged, South African young people acquire learning and skills in composite construction and boat building. WBBA is the only boat building school for people with disabilities. The DAME money will be used to help fund development of a skills programme with learning aids suited to deaf students, and to train teachers and interpreters.

Call for charities

METS and Superyacht Pavilion (SYP) invites government approved marine related public charities to apply for the registration proceeds from the Design Award METS (DAME) competition. "Since the decision was made in 2007 to charge a fee of € 150 per product registration and donate the sum total to charity, on the advice of the Exhibition Committee, we have taken responsibility for selecting a worthy cause," explains METS/SYP senior product manager, Irene Dros. "Now that the process is established, we've decided it's time to give charities whose work is connected to the international leisure marine industry an opportunity to apply for the donation."

To date, the DAME prize - which is the most coveted annual industry reward for innovative leisure marine product design - has raised approximately €18,000 for worthy causes each year. The annual donation varies according to the number of entries registered. Three charities have benefitted so far: 'De Batavia Yard' for building a replica ship; IFDS, the international association for disabled sailing; and AMREF, Flying doctors.

Charities interested in applying should contact the METS project team at mets@rai.nl for terms and conditions, and an application form. All applications must be received by April 12 and will be assessed by the Exhibition Committee in May. The DAME donation will be announced and presented at the Breakfast Briefing on the morning of 16th November, the official opening day of METS 2010.