Attendance for the 9th edition
The 9th ICOMIA World Marina Conference was held at RAI Amsterdam from 17 to 19 November. The event brought together around the theme"The future of marinas in a changing world" more than 200 professionals from marinas spread over the coasts of 39 countries. The parallel holding of the METS exhibition, which dedicated an entire pavilion to the marina activity, helped to the success of the meeting.
Looking to the future
Geert Dijks, Director of HISWA Holland Marine Industry, host of the event, welcomed participants and stressed the importance of learning from other industries and business models:"The marina and water sports are bigger than we think," Dijks stressed, stressing the need to invest in new regions to reach new customers and markets.
The speech by the futurist Adjiedj Bakas also marked the audience. The speaker shared his vision of a future where the middle class will have less money but more free time through robotization. The development of the participatory economy and the sharing of boats will push for a new use of the marina. For Bakas:"We must change the garage into a leisure destination"
Technical work sessions
During workshops, the more than 200 participants were able to exchange on technical themes such as the different approaches to the management of marinas, regulations and laws related to ports and yachting, the articulation between the public and private sectors. There is a specific theme linked to the development of super-yachts and the general increase in the size of boats, which poses problems for the capacity of large units.
Next edition in New Zealand
Roberto Perocchio, President of the ICOMIA Marina Group, announced that the next World Marina Conference will be held in early 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand, organised by the New Zealand Marina Operators Association.
