Marinas19 keynote speakers announced

Aerial view of Coomera precinct, the location for the Marinas19 technical tour © Marina Industries Association

The Marinas19 International Conference and Trade Exhibition 27-28 May 2019 is taking shape with keynote speakers secured and associated activities locked in. Marina Industries Association (MIA) Chairman Andrew Chapman said "the foundations are now in place for a most successful international event."

Addressing the topic of marinas and their key role in servicing and profiting from the emerging boat sharing economy will be a panel of proven boat share operators. The panel will include Phillip Pitt, MD of Pacific Boating in Australia and John Giglio, President and CEO of Freedom Boat Club which is the largest private share boating club in North America. The Club has over 20,000 members in 165 marinas across the US and Canada with a fleet of more than 2,000 boats.

Future consumer and demographic trends and the implications for the marina industry will be the focus of a plenary session by Simon Kuestenmacher, the Director of Research at The Demographics Group based in Melbourne. Simon is a rising star in data animation and interpretation and a contributing writer to The Australian newspaper.

Darren Vaux will deliver on the very pertinent topic of marina leases and the requirements for a sustainable investment framework to enable marinas to not only survive but to thrive at a time when there are increasing competitive pressures for waterfront real estate. Darren is the MIA Vice Chairman and a Director of the 5 Gold Anchor Platinum Empire Marina Bobbin Head in Sydney.

Mark Sanders is the President of Westpoint Harbor, a full-service marina located in Redwood City USA. Mark will provide insights into creating business 'unfair advantages' which differentiate his marina from others in a way they cannot compete. Marks presentation and interactive session will set an upbeat tone for the session entitled Marina Design: Making the Best Use of your Marina Assets that will include a showcase of tested design ideas.

A dedicated stream focused on waterways management will be led by Hal Morris, the CEO of Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA). The Queensland Government established GCWA to deliver the best possible management of the Gold Coast waterways at reasonable cost to the community and government, while keeping regulation to a minimum. Hal will share the experiences at GCWA with inputs from a range of other waterways agencies from across Australia.

Marinas19 will be 'topped and tailed' with two networking events. On the evening of Sunday 26th May proceeding Marinas19 and after the conclusion of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show there will be an informal networking BBQ at Southport Yacht Club. The Marinas19 Awards Dinner will be held at Sea World at the conclusion of day two and the event will wrap up with an optional technical tour of leading Gold Coast facilities on Wednesday 29th May.