British Marine Expo brings sea of learning and networking to Southampton

British Marine Expo in association with HPi Verification services © Sally Golden

The inaugural British Marine Expo, in association with HPi Verification Services, opened today welcoming hundreds of marine professionals looking to take up the exciting opportunities to network, learn and do business at this new flagship trade event.

With tickets for the new Marine Showcase, supported by British Marine Trades Association, sold out in advance for Day One and many more delegates attending the dozen other invaluable events being hosted at the venue, the first day of the Expo was deemed a huge success by visitors, speakers, exhibitors and organisers alike.

One of the most popular the day's sessions proved to be a thought-provoking panel debate on whether the industry is doing enough to protect the environment, hosted at the British Marine Leisure Boat and British Marine Sailing event. At a time when sustainability is high on the national agenda, attendees flocked to hear the opinions of leading sailing representatives and industry elite, including special guest Dee Caffari MBE. Plus there were engaging discussions on marketing to the modern consumer and initiatives to increase participation.

Speaking about the event, Dee Caffari MBE, commented: "It was a really interesting panel British Marine put together, with clearly a very keen focus to sustainability and making sure we are environmentally aware within the industry. It was great to see lots of pick up on question afterwards. The discussion on the environment really added value to the whole Expo event and is obviously something I am very passionate about."

Another of today's highlights was the inspiring keynote speech from Chris Aylett, CEO of the Motorsports Industry Association (MIA), at the Supply Chain Conference. Greeted by an audience intrigued to hear his thoughts on the parallels between the marine and automotive industries, Chris captured his audience with inspiring reflections on how businesses can achieve success through rapidly innovating, adapting and evolving

Reflecting on his time at the Expo, Chris Aylett, CEO of MIA, said: "I'm delighted with the event and pleased to be here. The number of people and number of activities I saw when I looked around the Expo shows this is a very powerful B2B networking opportunity. British Marine should be proud of the event."

Today's annual Meet the Buyer event was once again a feeding ground of business relationships and networking. Despite the trading uncertainties surrounding Brexit, this year's 22 British suppliers were eager to secure their share of the £1.5m+ worth of deals expected to be done with the 10 domestic and international buyers at the event.

Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine, commented: "The first day of our new British Marine Expo has truly been a fantastic affair. It is great to see so many of our members, industry peers and sailing personalities embracing the array of networking and business opportunities on tap at our new flagship trade event. We look forward to welcoming hundreds more delegates tomorrow, as well as hosting our popular Superyacht UK Technical Seminar."

The final day of the British Marine Expo tomorrow boasts another packed schedule with the popular Superyacht UK Technical Seminar taking place and plenty more opportunities for marine industry professional to do business under one roof. Tickets are still available for the Marine Showcase and some of the events scheduled for Wednesday.

Find out more at britishmarine.co.uk/bmexpo