Marina professionals from around the world gearing up for Istanbul

by Amsterdam RAI on 18 Mar 2014 Amsterdam RAI, in partnership with the ICOMIA Marinas Group and Turkish Marine Industry Association DENTUR, has released the event programme for the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference, to be held 2 to 4 June 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Experts from around the world will sit on panels and lead breakout sessions covering the global marina industry and emerging markets. The resulting exchange of knowledge and best practice will have long-lasting value to all who attend the conference, the theme of which is ‘Marinas into the Future’.

Sharing know-how
Leading lights representing top marina organisations from every part of the world and over forty top speakers will gather in Istanbul at the start of June to share knowledge and information with an equally diverse group of international delegates. Primary areas of focus will be on new opportunities in emerging markets, different approaches to marina management, and the diversity of regulations and legislation related to marinas and boating.

The global marina business in three days
'By joining us in Istanbul for the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference people will learn from the leading worldwide experts in the field,' comments Roberto Perocchio, Chairman ICOMIA Marinas Group. 'Listening to and leveraging on their lifetime of experiences will offer all you need to know about the marina business and its international trends in the space of just a couple of days.'

Setting the standard
The first three speakers at the plenary session of the event set the standard for the high level conversations to come. The opening address will be given by Alpaslan Sirkecioglu, chairman of the Turkish Marine Industry Association, DENTUR, which is also the conference host. This will be followed by a keynote speech by ICOMIA president Peter Methven OBE and the Turkish authority speech by Suat Hayri Aka, Deputy Undersecretary at Turkey’s Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications.

Highly relevant topics
Among the many highly relevant subjects of the sessions that will follow over the three days of the event are:
• Best operational practices with Jean-Michel Gaigné (CMM, GMI, international director of the French Marina Federation) and Stavros Katsikadis (Managing Director of Flisvos Marina S.A. and President of the Greek Marinas Association)
• Waterfront rejuvenation with Marcello Conti (Chief Maritime Works Department at Conti & Associates), Fred Klancnik (Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering and President and Principal Engineer at Capstone Engineering Design, LLC, Chair ASCE Marinas 2020 Committee)
• Dry marinas with Gary Groenewold (CMM, Chairman of the Association of Marina Industries, AMI, Vice President of Westrec Marinas) and Ronaldo Souza (CMM, Director of operations in Latin America for Westrec Marinas Brazil)
• Design for superyacht facilities with Roberto Perocchio (Assomarinas Italy, Chairman of IMG) and Oscar Siches (CMM, Director of the Global Marina Institute Spain
• Emerging Markets: Eastern Med, Black Sea/Middle East with Nabil Farhat (Editor-In-Chief of The World of Yachts & Boats Ltd) and Bruno Meier (CMM, COO & Head of Marina Division at ART MARINE Marinas in the UAE)
In addition to being an exceptional learning experience for professionals in the marina and nautical tourism fields, ICOMIA WMC 2014 is a must-attend platform for the latest marina product developments and innovations. Moreover, this will be the first time since its inauguration in 1993 that the highly respected travelling conference will been held in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Where East meets West
With Istanbul being the link between East and West, a dedicated Marinas Tour will visit Atakoy Marina, Kalamis & Fenerbahce Marinas and Marinturk Istanbul City Port. This is just one way in which delegates to ICOMIA WMC 2014 can enjoy the charming city of Istanbul. Other highlights include a Bosphorus Wining & Dining Cruise and an entertaining partner and family programme.

For more information see metstrade.com/wmc. Over 400 marine professionals are linked in the ICOMIA Wold Marinas Conference group on LinkedIn.