NMMA & boats.com Accepting Nominations for 2007 Web Awards

NMMA & boats.com Accepting Nominations for 2007 Web Awards

Awards recognize companies for superior website design and content

CHICAGO, August 28, 2006—Nominations are now being accepted for the 2007 North American Marine Industry Web Awards, sponsored by boats.com and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). The Awards recognize companies leading the North American marine industry’s drive toward higher standards of excellence in both website design and content.Five categories have been created to honor various segments of the North American marine industry and the companies whose websites demonstrate creativity in design, ease of navigation and up-to-date, relevant content. Awards are presented in the following categories: Best OEM/Manufacturer Site; Best Marine Equipment Site; Best Dealer/Broker Site; Best Marine Site Overall; and Outstanding Contribution to the Online Marine Industry. This last category, Outstanding Contribution to the Online Marine Industry, is open to any individual who has made a significant contribution to the development of the Internet within the marine industry.

Winning companies hold their titles for one year and receive a trophy exclusively designed by world renowned yacht designer Tony Castro. Award recipients will be recognized during a special ceremony at the 2007 Miami International Boat Show, taking place February 15-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The Web Awards were launched in 2004 to recognize the industry’s drive towards higher standards of excellence in website design and content. Websites considered for the awards program are evaluated by a panel of judges with expertise in web creation and design. The judging panel, which is currently being assembled, will comprise one individual from boats.com and one from NMMA, plus three additional Internet professionals with appropriate credentials and experience from outside of the industry.

“Being the leading website in our market segment continually reminds us of the time, effort and imagination it takes to get and stay there,” says James Nolan, group general manager of boats.com/YachtWorld.com. “We are very pleased to join NMMA in recognizing extraordinary efforts other companies are making, as well as their contributions to the Internet presence of our industry”

To nominate a company or individual for the 2007 Web Awards, complete the online application on the new Awards website, boats.com/nawebawards/index.html, which includes all relevant Award information.

About NMMA: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers in the United States. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications.

About boats.com: boats.com provides marketing services to OEM's, dealers, brokers and service companies throughout the global recreational marine industry. The company provides an unmatched level of consumer access to information, boat listings, financial and insurance products. With more than 95,000 new and used boat listings from more than 5,500 brokers and dealers, boats.com is the largest concentration of recreational marine industry marketing in the world. boats.com represents the manufacturers of more than 90 percent of all new boats in the U.S, along with new and used boat listings from dealers and brokers, as well as an ever growing international presence.

For more information on the North American Marine Industry Web Awards, contact NMMA trade communications manager Lindsey Savin at (312) 946-6204; lsavin@nmma.org, or boats.com marketing manager Linda Hanson at (206) 352-9217; lhanson@yachtworld.com.

Source: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)