Major Successes and Announcements at IMBC
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
(Tampa, Florida) -- The first two days of the International Marina & Boatyard Conference (IMBC) in Tampa, Florida, has been deemed a major success. Boasting the highest number of exhibitors in its six-year history, the IMBC hosted over 500 attendees and nearly 20 sponsors. IMBC is co-produced by the Association of Marina Industries (AMI) and the American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA).
Jim Ellis, former president of BoatUS, kicked off the conference Monday morning with a strong reminder to the industry that the consumer is key to the service sector’s success and that understanding and participating within this community is critical to boating’s growth. Following the keynote, 21 new Certified Marina Managers (CMMs) from around the world were announced, making the 2006 CMM class the largest graduating group of participants in the CMM program—produced by AMI’s subsidiary, the International Marina Institute. Before the end of the day, representatives from Rybovich Spencer, Bellingham Marine, and Pantalan Del Mediterraneo drew a crowd of nearly 300 as they discussed the intricacies and challenges of major facility redesign.
“The first few days of the conference have been highly successful,” says Alex Laidlaw, CMM, AMI’s new chair. “Compared to previous years, we’re seeing more attendees, more sponsors, more exhibitors. This has been terrific experience. We look forward to growing in upcoming years.”
The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) is a non-profit membership organization providing management training, education, and information about research, legislation, and environmental issues affecting the marina industry.
The American Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA), founded in 1943, strengthens and encourages professionalism in the boat building and marine service industry by providing its members with timely information, training, education and business services.
For more information and to register for the conference, please visit IMBC's web site.
Contact: International Marina & Boatyard Conference
Email: IMBC@MarinaAssociation.org
Phone: 401–252–9544
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