The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) has issued a formal call for tenders to host the 2029 ICOMIA World Marinas Conference, one of the marina industry's largest global gatherings.
Organised by the ICOMIA Marinas Group (IMG), the biennial event brings together marina owners, operators, developers, consultants, government officials, equipment manufacturers and promoters of nautical tourism from around the world. The most recent edition, held in Venice in October 2025, attracted more than 650 delegates.
Since its first edition in 1993 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the conference has taken place in Genoa, Fort Lauderdale, Sydney, San Diego, Ostend, Singapore, Istanbul, Athens, Dubai and the Algarve. The 2027 edition will be in Shanghai, China, from 30 March - 2 April.
ICOMIA stressed that parties interested in hosting the 2029 IWMC should contact louise@icomia.com in the first instance for a copy of the bid information package, which outlines the relationship between the appointed conference host and ICOMIA. Hosts must also be members of the ICOMIA Marinas Group at the time of the conference.
Organisations interested in hosting the 2029 conference must submit a tender bid in PowerPoint format, limited to ten slides, covering details such as the host organisation's background, a proposed venue and date, an initial budget outlining sponsorship and delegate fee projections, marketing strategy, plans for attracting an international audience, and outline support from local and regional bodies. Hosts must also be members of the ICOMIA Marinas Group at the time of the conference.
The tendering timeline is as follows:
- 6 November 2026 – Deadline for bid submissions, to be emailed to Louise Eagle at ICOMIA.
- 17 November 2026 – Shortlisted bidders present their proposals in a 10-minute pitch to the IMG meeting at Metstrade 2026, after which IMG will recommend a host to the ICOMIA Board of Directors.
- Within 28 days of the announcement – A signed agreement between ICOMIA and the successful host must be finalised.
- End of the 2027 Shanghai conference – The new 2029 host will be formally announced with a handover ceremony.
Prospective bidders can request a copy of the bid information package, which details the relationship between ICOMIA and the appointed host, by contacting Louise Eagle at louise@icomia.com. Further details on the upcoming Shanghai conference are available at worldmarinasconference.com.
