Rewind Back to the 80’s at the 2019 DEMA Awards Party

The dive industry is coming together at the 31st annual DEMA Awards Party taking place November 15, 2019 to honor the 2019 Reaching Out Award recipients and to reveal this year’s recipient of the Wave Makers Award. Join us at this year’s 80’s inspired evening which will take place at Hard Rock Live Orlando.  Get ready for a night full of acid washed jeans and teased hair as we celebrate with friends, business associates, and industry peers! Mark your calendar for an evening of entertainment and celebration!

First presented in 1989, the Reaching Out Award honors leaders in the diving community whose significant contributions to the sport have elevated the industry on all levels. Areas of contribution have included equipment design, exploration, photography, publishing, retailing, science, training, travel and water safety. This year’s recipients will be joining an extraordinary list of distinguished past Honorees.

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.

Get your tickets today when you register for DEMA Show as prices will increase after October 14thand are only available while supplies last. Additional information about the 2019 DEMA Awards Party including ticket pricing and event details are available on the DEMA Show website. For sponsorship opportunities and VIP reserved seating for tables of 10, please contact Colleen Vasquez at colleen@dema.org.  

Slate Announced for 2020-2023 DEMA Board of Directors Election

** Deadline to Petition for a Write-In Candidate is 9/2/19**

The candidates for the 2020-2023 DEMA Board of Directors are: 

• Category A1 – Manufacturers, Distributors and Affiliated Field/Sales Representatives:
  
  • Chuck Fultz, Innovative Scuba Concepts, Inc.
• Category A2 – Diver Certification and Training Agencies, and Affiliated Field/Sales Representative:
  
  
  •  Tom Leaird, Scuba Educators International
• Category A3 – Dive Publishing, Media, Dive Industry Consulting, Associations & Non-Retail Service Providers:
  
  •  William Cline, Cline Group Advertising, Inc.
  • Michael Johnson, Solstice Productions
  • Ronny Roskosch, Diving Industry Pro Consulting
• Category A4 – Retail Distribution of Diving Goods & Services:
  
  •  Bill Cole, Sea Experience
  • John Miller, Texas Dive Center Inc

• Category A5 – Dive Travel Provider or Resort:
  
  • Steve Weaver, Dream Weaver Travel

DEMA Members interested in running in the 2020-2023 Board election can still be included on the ballot by becoming write in candidates. For further details and deadline information interested Members should complete the Board Election Write In Nominee Request.   

NOTE: Write-in candidates and those petitioning for them must be current 2019 DEMA Members AND must be renewed for 2020 by the date of record for the election.

For membership information please contact membership@dema.org or (858) 616-6408. In accordance with the DEMA Bylaws, Directors serve three-year terms.  More information on DEMA's Board of Directors and Bylaws is available on DEMA.org.

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.

DEMA Show 2019 Registration is Now Open!

** DEMA Members, Register by October 14th to Save with Early Bird Rates **

DEMA Show’s online registration system is now open! Qualified Dive Industry professionals looking to grow their business and connect with Industry professionals can now register to attend DEMA Show 2019. Thousands of attendees from all over the world will come together for the Dive Industry’s only trade-only event, taking place November 13-16 in the West Halls of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.  To register, visit the official DEMA Show website. While there, visitors can review exhibitor listings and booth locations using the interactive floorplan, book a room in the Official DEMA Show Hotel Block, and find information about Show features like DEMA-Sponsored Education and Exhibitor-Sponsored Seminars.

Attendees can choose from four different packages when registering: The All Access Package, Seminar Package, Exhibits Only and the Saturday-Only Immersion Pass.  Each package varies in price and opportunities.  You can view complete details on each by visiting DEMAShow.com. Current DEMA Members can save up to $175 on their DEMA Show All Access Package over the non-member rate when registering on or before the early registration deadline of October 14th. 

ACT NOW AND REGISTER TODAY! Visit DEMAShow.com for the latest details on DEMA Show education opportunities, Show-related activities, DEMA Awards Party, and other information as the Show approaches. To have DEMA Show news delivered directly to your email, exhibitors should subscribe to the Show’s Exhibitor Companion. Attendees are encouraged to subscribe to DEMAIL for important Show information, announcements, and Industry news. 

Volunteers Needed for Research Testing: DEMA Purchasing Managers' Index

DEMA is conducting a study to determine if collecting retail data in a confidential and easy-to-use manner is feasible. The study is referred to as a Purchasing Managers' Index, and specifically requests data from DEMA Retailer (A4-Category) Member store inventory buyers; the person most closely associated with maintaining store inventory. We are asking for volunteers to participate in a pilot-version of the program to determine if collecting this data is possible, and useful. Participation in this effort will help DEMA determine if appropriate data can be made available to DEMA members to help them understand their businesses, including business cycles and the health of the industry. The application deadline is Tuesday, May 28, 2019.

LEARN MORE & APPLY TODAY

DEMA Board of Directors to Meet for Conference Call on May 2nd

DEMA’s 2019 Board of Directors will convene during a conference call on May 2nd for the second Board Meeting of the year. Topics of discussion will focus on ways to help grow the Industry and maximize DEMA’s benefits for Members.

The Board meeting will begin by voting to approve the “consent agenda,” a Robert’s Rules of Order device used to obtain “general consent” intended to expedite approval of routine items. The Board is provided consent agenda items in advance of the Board Meeting, allowing them to study the documents in detail prior to the meeting, and permitting approval without additional discussion.  Consent agendas help the Board spend its limited meeting time discussing forward-thinking items; policy and strategic issues that demand its attention.

For May’s meeting, the consent agenda includes:

• DEMA 2019 Q1 Dashboard
• 2019 Q1 Financial Summary and Manufacturer’s Fund Report
• DEMA Show 2019 Update
• 2019 Q1 Membership Update
• 2019 Q1 Research Committee Minutes
• 2019 Q1 Public Policy Committee Report
• 2019 Q1 Emerging Leaders Task Force Minutes
• 2019 Q1 Go Dive Now Report

Following approval of the consent agenda, the Board will conduct a review of the current fiscal and membership year. The conference call will conclude with the Board covering any new business or consent agenda items that may require further discussion.

More information on DEMA’s Board of Directors and Bylaws is available on the DEMA website. Complete minutes from past Board of Directors Meetings are available to current DEMA Members from the Member Dashboard of www.dema.org. The next Board of Directors Meeting will be held on August 15th and 16th.