International Boatbuilders Expo Reveal Event Details

The upcoming International BoatBuilders Expo (IBEX), to be held October 2 to 5 in Tampa, Florida, will include a lineup of special sessions, educational content and an exhibit hall. To kick things off the Grow Boating Marketing Summit, “Digital Marketing: Join the Evolution,” will be held October 1. A joint program of IBEX and the Marine Marketers of America, the event is open to all marine interests that want to learn more about the digital tools available to effectively market to future boaters and enhance their businesses. Digital marketing channels such as display ads, video, social media, email, websites and more will be discusses by a full slate of expert speakers including: Marcus Sheridan, author of “They Ask, You Answer,” The Sales Lion, Brooke Skinner Ricketts, chief marketing officer of Cars.com, Tannis McKenna, agency development manager, Google, Brad Dixon, vice president of accounts at Adaptly, Tom Martin, author of “The Invisible Sale,” Jack Ellis, managing director, Info-Link Technologies, and Steve Pizzolato, founder & CEO, Avala Marketing Group.

Also, held prior to the official IBEX opening are two sessions sponsored by the International Marina Institute. Marina 101, held September 30, will be an introductory course for those with little to no marina experience who are looking to get into the industry. Presented by Carl F. Wolf, CMM, CMI and former president of the International Marina Institute, the course will provide four hours of presentations covering operations, maintenance, emergency preparedness, long-term planning, financial reports and roles of a marina manager.

For experienced marina personnel, IMI is also hosting a one-day Marina & Boatyard Study Tour on October 1 that includes tours of five marinas, lunch, and facilitated discussion. Facilities that will be toured include: Twin Dolphin Marina, Riviera Dunes Marina, Maximo Marina & Boatyard, Antigua Cove at Little Harbor, and Village Marina at Little Harbor. To register for either IMI session click here.

The following day IBEX officially opens with its annual Industry Breakfast and Awards Ceremony. Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association will discuss the future of the industry with the theme “Recreational Boating in 2035.” Several awards will be presented during this time including the National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) Mel Barr, Boating Industry Movers & Shakers, and the IBEX Innovation Awards. New this year, the International Boat Industry (IBI) Export Excellence Award will also be presented. IBI’s Export Excellence call for nominations is now open – click here to access the application.

Following the awards presentation, the breakfast keynote will be given by Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes. Karlgaard is a renowned global futurist, economic leader, entrepreneur and author and expert in artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things.

For information about the Industry Breakfast and Awards Ceremony click here.