Building your marine electronics business as the market recovers is one of the themes for the upcoming National Marine Electronics Association's (NMEA) 2010 International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo, to be held September 29 - October 2, 2010, at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel.
"We are working through a very difficult marine industry economy since late 2008," said David Hayden, NMEA's President and Executive Director. "However, the market is slowly recovering and should present an upside in late 2010 and continuing into 2011. The NMEA International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo this year will help everyone who attends to be more successful in navigating tough waters and making your business successful as the market improves."
The name of the event, formerly called the NMEA Convention & Expo, has also been updated, Hayden said, to better reflect the NMEA's involvement in the worldwide marketplace. One of NMEA's strong areas of growth has been from the international arena with manufacturers, dealers, and the trade. And the NMEA standards are global in nature, Hayden noted.
The 2010 NMEA International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo will be the largest event held in the world this year specifically for marine electronics dealers, manufacturers, distributors, and other professionals. NMEA member companies supply most of the electronics for the recreational boating and light commercial markets and they are increasingly important in deep-draft shipping, as well as international markets.
"We have a great program of training and technical seminars prepared for NMEA members, their technical personnel, and others," Hayden said. "The Convention offers many opportunities for networking with manufacturers and with peer dealers."
Some of the training and seminar opportunities at the 2010 NMEA International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo include:
- NMEA 2000r Standard
- E Navigation
- Satellite Communications-Future of Service
- GMDSS/FCC Task Force meeting
- Weather
- Chart Plotting Enhancements
- AIS Installation and Rules
- Basic Marine Electronics Installer Course
- Advanced Marine Electronics Installer Course
- How to Get Your Boat Ready for Electronics
- Insurance Explained by Aflac
- How to Do Business in a Down Economy
Visitors and participants will have the opportunity to see new 2011 product rollouts from manufacturers during the Expo that will be open all day Thursday, September 30. "The Expo really provides all dealers with important one-on-one discussion time with all their manufacturers," Hayden said. "The Expo is the only time during the year that dealers will find nearly all of their manufacturers under one roof."
The 2010 NMEA International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo will be held in the AAA Four Diamond, award-winning Sheraton Seattle Hotel, located downtown, within several blocks of Seattle's famous Pike Street Market. Surrounding the Sheraton Seattle Hotel is one of America's most vibrant urban centers and it includes Pioneer Square, opera, ballet, the symphony, museums, theater, and the Seattle Aquarium. The Sheraton is just a few blocks from the Seattle waterfront, the gateway to Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Alaska, and the Pacific Rim.
Seattle is renowned as the most important center for marine electronics that support North Pacific fleets. In addition to dealer training and seminars, educational sessions, new product introductions at the Expo, and business opportunities, the NMEA International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo offers numerous networking events including a Welcome Booster Reception, Annual Breakfast Meeting, breakfasts, lunches, and the Industry Awards Banquet.
To see complete details, and to register, please visit www.NMEA.org. Or for more information, call the NMEA office at 410-975-9425.