The programme for the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference 2025 has been released online. The event will take place on the beautiful Certosa Island in Venice, Italy, from 15–17 October. The first and last days will include conference sessions and panel discussions, while the second day will include a tour of different marinas around the wider Venice region.
Day one
Day one will begin at 08:30 with a welcome speech and opening remarks from Shirley Robertson, Main Host; Frank Hugelmeyer, ICOMIA President; Piero Formenti, President, Italian Marine Industry Association; Roberto Perocchio, President, Italian Marina Association; and Alberto Sonino, Chairman, Venezia Certosa Marina.
The CEO of Safe Harbor Marinas, Baxter Underwood, will deliver a keynote address on “The future of the marine industry – greater value for all”. The Director of Corila, Pierpaolo Campostrini, will deliver a second keynote speech on the “Maritime history of Venice and climate change solutions”. The CEO of D-Marin, Oliver Dörschuck, will take part in a panel discussion on the Mediterranean and the UAE perspective.
Following a coffee break, there will be a panel discussion on “Marina markets of the world” featuring: Jean Michel Gaigne, Francesco Di Cesare, Suzanne Davies, Thompson Bongumusa Mbhele, Ekrem Reyhancioglu, Kenta Inaba, Khaled Sherif, Farrokh Golchin and Klaus “Cacau” Peters.
Frank Hugelmeyer, Brett McGill, Bryan Redmond and Baxter Underwood will also discuss trends and figures from the biggest marina market in the world, the United States.
The afternoon will feature several panel discussions on a range of topics. These will include:
- Navigating 21st-century marina challenges – the new TYHA code of practice
- Global market and marina services – “good match” of marina, yacht builders and shipyards
- Unlocking the full benefits of marina accreditation and marina certification
- WOW factor in marina design and operation
The late afternoon will then shift focus to energy, with panel discussions on the generation of renewable energy in marinas and new energy sources for the green transition and boat propulsion. The day will end with a panel on diversity and accessibility.
Day two: marinas tour
Day two will consist entirely of a tour of marinas around the wider Venice region. The tour will take place in two groups.
- Group one will visit Venezia Certosa Marina, Marina Sant’Elena, Compagnia della Vela & Fondazione Cini, Darsena Le Saline, Darsena Mosella and Porto San Felice.
- Group two will visit Venezia Certosa Marina, Marina di Cavallino, Porto Turistico di Jesolo, Marina Punta Faro, Marina Punta Gabbiani and Marina Fiorita.
There will be a gala dinner at the Venice Arsenal in the evening.
Day three
The third and final day will consist of further panel discussions with leading industry figures. The topics of discussion will include:
- Marina chains – vision & proposition for the future
- Marinas, the charter industry & boat clubs – how to grow best together
- International regulations and recommendations
- Risk management
- The value of marinas – institutional investors’ perspectives
- Innovation in floating structures & marina infrastructure
- Digitalisation and AI
- Global trends & innovations in dry-stack storage and boatyard equipment
- State-of-the-art marina projects
The whole event will close with a farewell party on Friday 17 October, from 19:00 until midnight.
To learn more about the event and to register your attendance, click here.
