Final preparations are underway and announcements being made as the international marina industry looks forward to the biennial ICOMIA World Marinas Conference, this taking place in Venice, Italy, from 15-17 October.
The most significant recent announcement is the change of venue. Having been initially scheduled to take place on Certosa Island, the event location has been “upgraded” to the iconic and prestigious Arsenale di Venezia, originally a Byzantine shipyard whose construction started around 1104. Today, the venue regularly hosts cultural events, exhibitions and trade fairs, such as next week’s ICOMIA World Marinas Conference.
Commenting on the change of venue, CEO of ICOMIA Joe Lynch said: “We always knew that Venice would be a very popular location for this event, but the demand for delegate registration and additional exhibition space has been tremendous. We are therefore delighted to be able to host the event in such an iconic and inspiring location. Thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters and delegates for making this move possible.”
Keynote speakers
A number of keynote speakers at the event have been confirmed over the last few weeks. Alberto Galassi, the CEO of the luxury Italian yacht builder Ferretti Group, will be speaking on 15 October about the global marina market and marina services.
Also speaking on the opening day of the event is Giovanni Soldini, who draws upon more than three decades of ocean-racing experience, spanning both solo and crewed circumnavigations. As its team principal, he will be speaking about Ferrari’s Hypersail initiative, which centres upon the construction of a 100-foot, fully foiling, energy self-sufficient monohull yacht.
Spotlighted as keynote speakers in recent announcements from ICOMIA include the highly experienced marina professional and certified marina manager Wyndham Tops, who oversees marina and waterway operations at Red Sea Global; and Darren Vaux of Empire Marinas Group, a leading expert in marina infrastructure development and management who has overseen major marina projects across Europe, guiding improvements in environmental compliance, customer satisfaction and renewable energy integration.
The British Olympic gold medallist and one of the world’s most successful Olympic sailors of all time, Shirley Robertson, will host the event.
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Focus topics
As an essential gathering for stakeholders across the global marina, boating and nautical tourism industries, the event will focus on three main themes: innovation, collaboration and transformation.
The conference programme will include diverse and engaging topics covering the length and breadth of today’s global marina industry. There will be spotlights on design, operation and sustainability featuring industry leaders such as Dan Natchez and Kenny Jones, as well as on accreditation, certification and global standards. Indeed, regulatory compliance and certification are central to maintaining reputation, accessing investment and delivering top-tier visitor experiences, ensuring that a marina remains viable and profitable.
There will also be a focus on the USA, the biggest marina market in the world, as well as contributions from the CEOs of D-Marin and Safe Harbor Marinas, Oliver Dörschuck and Baxter Underwood.
First held in 1993, the IWMC was created to foster global dialogue and promote boating in emerging markets. Since then, it has become a cornerstone event for the worldwide marina industry, connecting stakeholders, driving innovation and highlighting the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of marinas worldwide.
For more information, please visit www.worldmarinasconference.com, or contact the organisers at iwmc25@ventodivenezia.it
