Azimut Yachts has won the 2020 edition of the “Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement”, the yearly event organised by IBI and Metstrade that awards businesses in the nautical industry who have stood out internationally for successful initiatives.

This year’s special edition, held for the first time digitally in respect of Covid safety procedures, awarded Azimut Yachts first place in the “Exceptional Commercial Achievement In An Unprecedented Year” category, dedicated to those who employed a strategy or initiative aimed at protecting their business and the people within it.

The recognition is part of a group of new categories created to focus attention on the response of the nautical industry to the complexities which have emerged due to the pandemic. A context in which the company has demonstrated its great innovative skill and its adaptability, through the creation of the Azimut Yachts Virtual Lounge, a one-of-a-kind business communication and development tool.

A digital container, which is continuously filled with videos, technical schematics and additional information, with the role of keeping a constant dialogue with clients even during lockdown and social distancing. In addition, the judges were impressed by the versatility of the Virtual Lounge, which allowed the brand to organise, in May, its first e-boat show, a display of products enhanced by a live chat during which an Azimut S6 was sold online.

In addition to this award, the company received an honourable mention in the “Community Support Initiative” category, dedicated to those who demonstrated social responsibility, channelling resources, skills and production capabilities to help the wider community during a time of difficulty.

Azimut Yachts impressed the judges both for its close local ties, and for having launched, successfully and in a short time, a distribution initiative for personal protective equipment kits to hospitals, administrative councils, volunteer association, local authorities and other local organisations, as well as in nearby supermarkets working in the same regions as the company, Piemonte, Liguria, Tuscany and the Marches.

In this manner, Azimut|Benetti Group highlighted their care in curating their existing relationships with local businesses and its closeness with the local people, for whom it represents a historical point of reference and authentic reason fro pride.

At the virtual awards ceremony, followed by a number of companies in the industry and the main players of the nautical industry around the world, were speeches by Federico Lantero (Azimut|Benetti Group Product Marketing & Communication Director), who accepted the award, and Francesco Boromei (Azimut|Benetti Group Chief Marketing Officer), who accepted the honourable mention.