IBEX 2014 - Tampa prepares for thousands of marine professionals

by Amy Riemer on 26 Sep 2014 Thousands of marine professionals will gather next week for the first time at the Tampa Convention Center for the 2014 International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) being held Tuesday, September 30 - Thursday, October 2.

IBEX will offer 550+ exhibiting companies, including 142 exhibitors who did not exhibit in 2013 and 80 first-time exhibitors who will be showcasing thousands of new products, advanced processes, and impressive innovation. This three day trade show and conference owned and produced by Professional BoatBuilder magazine and The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) will feature educational seminars, new products, and live demonstrations, along with docks filled with boats packed with new technology, free workshops, and unique networking opportunities.

'We have seen a 34% increase in pre-registration and are excited to host this leading industry event for the first time in Tampa and offer several new and innovative special features, including on-the-water demonstrations, the Opening Night Party for a Purpose networking event, several live, interactive show floor displays, and pre-show Super Sessions. We will also be offering over 55 technical seminars, free Exhibitor Workshops, and the Innovation Awards,' said Anne Dunbar, IBEX Show Director. 'This year's gathering of thousands of industry professionals is sure to be the must attend event of the year to source the most advanced products and trends in the boatbuilding industry.'

Highlights for IBEX include:

• Super Sessions - IBEX will start off on Monday, September 29 with seven Super Sessions, produced and presented by exhibitors including ABBRA, Composites Consulting Group, Composites One, NMEA, SNAME and West Systems, Inc. The three to eight hour workshops will review in-depth, hands-on technical topics prominent in the marine industry. For a complete list of sessions, click here.

• The Seminar Series - IBEX is offering 55 technical education seminars, where industry experts will present the most advanced technical training in the world for the marine industry. A few of the topics will include Hydrodynamics of High-Speed Boats, ABYC 2014 Standards Updates, Designing the Efficient Powerboat, Demystifying Propeller Design, and many more. For the complete list of seminars, click here.

• RBFF Special Session - This special session will focus on how to target and engage new or underserved audiences, including the Hispanic community, sponsored by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), an organization with a well-established Hispanic outreach campaign, and co-sponsored by Soundings Trade Only.

• Industry Breakfast and Innovation Awards will feature legendary basketball coach Bob Knight who will present a motivational speech on 'Winning'. Thom Dammrich, NMMA President will deliver the State of the Industry address followed by an awards presentation including, The IBEX Innovation Awards, the NMMA Hall of Fame Award, the Exhibitor Video Awards, and the Boating Industry Movers and Shakers Award. For tickets to the industry breakfast, click here.

• Opening Night Party for a Purpose networking event will be held on the beautiful Sail Pavilion on the Riverwalk outside the Tampa Convention Center on Tuesday, September 30 from 6 - 8 pm. All exhibitors and attendees are invited to enjoy drinks food, cigar rolling, and live music while having the opportunity to network with boating industry peers and learn about the advocacy work being done in Washington D.C. on behalf of the boating industry.

• Highlights in the Exhibit Hall:

o New Products on the Exhibit Floor - Thousands of new products, advanced processes, and impressive innovations will be offered by 550 exhibiting companies throughout the sold out exhibit hall and on the water, which is 17% larger than in previous years. Innovation Way, in aisle 100, will feature all of the 2014 Innovation Award participant's products, showcasing the latest in marine industry product development and technology. To view a complete list of exhibitors and learn more about their new products, click here.

o The Connected Boat - A dynamic, interactive display showcasing how various vessel subsystems can be interconnected using existing network technologies. The display will be ongoing in the Electronics Pavilion. A dozen companies will be showcasing live products and systems integrated from helm to stern including analog sensors, CAN bus, RS232, NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, Ethernet, Bluetooth wireless 802.1 b/g/n, Wi-Fi, MiFl, Cellular, Satellite and Global Internet.

o Material ConneXion's cutting-edge interactive Materials Library will be displaying fabric and material solutions that will have an impact on the marine industry. Sarah Hoit, Materials Specialist, will hold two hands-on presentations per day where she will explain technical properties, innovative traits, suggested applications, and interesting facts. The Library, featuring over 7,500 innovative, sustainable, and advanced materials, will be located in the Composites Pavilion on the show floor.

o The IBEX 3D Digital Workshop will be located on the second floor of the Convention Center and will feature DRS Technologies' ORCA 3D, Chaos Group's V-Ray 3.0 for Rhino, and several products from RhinoFabStudios including the RhinoCAM, Grasshopper, Paneling Tools, and manymore. The feature area will offer live demonstrations of software, hardware machines - 3D printers, 3D scanners, Laser Cutters, CNC machines and more, and a series of educational presentations.

o On-The-Water Exhibits and Demonstrations will be offered for the first time and will feature several companies including Elco Motor Yachts, Honda Marine, JL Audio, JL Marine Systems, Medallion Instrumentation Systems, Mercury Marine, MITO Corporation, Nauticus Inc, Oceanmat, PlasDECK Inc, Raymarine Inc, SeaStar Solutions, Simrad-Navico, Torqeedo Inc, UFLEX USA, Wet Sounds, Volvo Penta, and Yamaha Motor Corporation who will showcase their products directly from the water on their boats.

o Exhibitor Workshop Theater - In addition to the hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their latest products, there will be over 20 free exhibitor workshops live on the show floor. IBEX exhibitors will present new products and processes, offering the latest information on cost-saving techniques, new technologies, and tools to improve boating industry business. For the complete listing of workshops, click here.

• IBEX Mobile App - IBEX offers a smartphone app that will make it easier to navigate around IBEX's exhibit halls, and offers complete show information including access to the list of exhibitors, booth numbers, a searchable exhibit floor, live links to all social media, a list of events, and complete information on seminars, workshops and locations, and more. To download the app, click here.