IBEX Announces New Educational Offerings

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), North America’s premier technical trade event for the recreational marine industry, has announced a host of new offerings as part of its IBEX Education Conference. Several all-new features for this year include a Main Stage and Leadership Education track.

The IBEX Main Stage will showcase leadership, workforce and industry trends and is located along the seminar hallway on the 1^st Floor. The Main Stage schedule will include panel discussions, the seminar series, and free programs on this newly designed stage.

The technical Seminar Series, produced in collaboration with the Show’s education partners Professional BoatBuilder magazine, ABYC, NMEA and IBEX co-owner NMMA, is presented by industry experts and spans 10 tracks that encompass all aspects of boatbuilding. The program offers more than 50 seminars ranging from core skills training to the trends developing within the marine industry.

The new Leadership Education track is designed for C-suite participants and includes several Main Stage sessions such as Avoiding Contradictions in Technology on October 2 at 8:30 a.m. Moderated by Aaron Porter, editor of Professional BoatBuilder magazine and Ben Stein, editor/publisher of Panbo.com, this panel discussion will focus on answering the question of how to manage the longevity of boats’ designs and construction compared with the shorter lifespans of electric, electronic, and other critical components. Also on the Main Stage, Thomas Dammrich will moderate a timely discussion entitled Visionary Leadership Panel Discussion: The Driving Force Behind the Marine Industry’s Small & Medium Sized Businesses on October 2 at 11:00 a.m., which will tackle the qualities of a visionary leader. Included in this session is a catered lunch. Other leadership seminars include Manufacturing Facility Improvements and Avoiding Legal Pitfalls Through the Use of Robust Record Keeping Practices, plus two Main Stage events that cover workforce trends and development.

In addition, the IBEX Education Conference will include staples that marine professionals have come to recognize as necessary for professional development such as the free Tech Talk workshops and pre-conference sessions.

The full Education Conference schedule is available on the IBEX website. The Education Conference packages and tickets are available in the registration process, with Early Bird pricing, through August 30.

Registration is open for this year’s show, set to take place at the Tampa Convention Center, October 1 to 3. Visitors and accredited press can click here for registration. For exhibitors looking to add booth staff, click here for exhibitor registration. To learn about the products, services, and companies that are driving the future of marine industry technology, click here to visit IBEX 365. For the latest updates via social media, like and follow the IBEX Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.