DEMA Launches Diving Community Champion Awards

** Showcasing the Recreational Diving Community to the Industry and Public **

The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) has launched the Diving Community Champions Awards Program to recognize the good works of DEMA-Member companies and showcase the recreational diving community to the general public.  All DEMA-Member companies are eligible to submit a nomination to recognize other DEMA Members, and honorees will be recognized at the Annual Membership Meeting taking place on November 14, 2019 during DEMA Show 2019 in Orlando, FL.

DEMA’s objectives in creating this program include recognizing DEMA Member companies who are giving back to their communities and society through recreational diving and making these community efforts known to the general public.  According to Member surveys, representing the diving industry to the public is one of the top five benefits requested by DEMA Members. 

According to Tom Ingram, DEMA President and CEO, “There are so many different ways that DEMA Members currently interact with and impact the general public, from helping to pass appropriate legislation to enacting protections for shipwrecks and aquatic life so all can see, that DEMA recognizes the obligation to promote Members who get involved with their communities, whether local, state, national or worldwide. Using social media, DEMA will also reach outside the immediate diving industry to showcase the good that Members of the DEMA family do for everyone.”

Nominations for the Diving Community Champion Awards are open now, until August 30th.  Nominations can be submitted by any current DEMA Member company, and nominees must be current A-class DEMA Members.  For more information and to submit a nomination, click here. 

DEMA Calls for Nominations for the 2019 Wave Makers Award

**Finalists and 2019 Recipient to be Honored at 2019 DEMA Awards Party in Orlando, FL**

DEMA will once again recognize new professionals in the diving industry who are employed by (or own) a DEMA-Member business at the 2019 DEMA Awards Party! The Wave Makers Award was first introduced in 2017 and aims to recognize professionals who have been working in the industry for five years or less and have made a significant contribution to the industry during that time. The Wave Makers Award encourages the Industry to support a culture that fosters innovative thinking and encourages engagement with the association and industry by new professionals. Nominations for the 2019 Wave Makers Award will be accepted until Monday, August 5, 2019. All finalists will be recognized at the 2019 DEMA Awards Party where the final honoree will be announced.

Wave Makers are employees or owners of DEMA-Member businesses who have been involved as a professional in the Diving Industry for 60 months or less and who should be recognized for their contributions to the industry, a dive business and DEMA.  A complete overview of the criteria to qualify can be found here. Member professionals who have been active with DEMA by attending DEMA Show, serving on a committee or task force, or volunteering for the Go Dive Now Pool, or other activities related to DEMA, can qualify.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION in any of the following categories: Contribution to DEMA’s Mission, Providing Business or Community Service, or Contributing to Dive Industry Growth.

The Wave Makers selection process for 2019 will be as follows:

1. DEMA Members nominate a potential honoree, using the established criteria. 
2. The Awards Committee reviews these nominees, narrowing the field to the top candidates.
3. The top candidates are notified and asked to create a one-minute video about what they envision for the future of the association and/or the diving industry.
4. The videos are then shared on social media, and DEMA asks members to view them prior to DEMA Show, and vote on DEMA.org for the Wave Makers winner for 2019.
5. Only DEMA Members can vote, as a log-in to the DEMA website and Member-only voting page will be required.
6. The top candidates and a guest are invited to attend the DEMA Awards Party at DEMA Show 2019. 
7. Each of the top candidates’ self-made videos will be played during the Party and the winner will be announced during the Awards celebration. 

Nominations are open now until Monday, August 5, 2019!  Finalists and the new professional chosen as the 2019 Wave Maker will be honored at the DEMA Awards Party being held on Friday, November 15, 2019 at the Hard Rock Live Coliseum in Orlando, FL. Complete DEMA Awards Party details and tickets will be made available soon on the DEMA Show website.