October 2012 - Association of Marina Industries

16
Conference Corner
Seminars Sneak Peak
As you’ve read, IMBC has overhauled its seminar schedule
by inviting more professional speakers than previous years,
by adding breakout sessions sorted into specific coastal, inland,
and boatyard and service tracks, and by adding small
group workshops. Much of IMBC’s content is spelled out
in a 20-plus page preliminary brochure available at http://
flash-pub.com/pub/ebooks/a8022d2f44/index.php#/0.
As part of IMBC’s ongoing effort to bring you the strongest
seminar series possible, we are publishing short articles
written by this year’s speakers and outlining some key
points from their seminars. We’re not publishing the entirety
of the content, but rather providing these as a preview of
what you can expect at IMBC in Fort Lauderdale this January.
We invite you to read these articles and provide us with
feedback at http://marinaassociation.org/imbc/education/
articles that we can then share with IMBC’s speakers.
IMBC Adds Interactive Workshops to
Seminar Schedule
New in 2013, IMBC will offer six limited-attendance workshops
to full conference registrants. The workshops will be
offered on Friday, February 1 from 3:05 pm – 4:05 pm and
again from 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm. Workshops will run twice,
back-to-back to give participants the chance to attend two.
“We developed the small workshops to meet the needs of
participants who appreciate the larger setting of a big conference
with hundreds of their peers, but still crave that intimate
hands-on learning experience you get only at small
gatherings,” Frye continues. “It’s the best of both worlds.”
To attend a workshop, you must preregister for IMBC because
space is limited. For many of the workshops, speakers
and registered attendees will communicate prior to IMBC
to ensure the material in the workshop is relevant to the
audience. Topics for the smaller workshops include contract
reviews, the reality of smart phones and mobile apps,
and a confidential review of EPA and OSHA standards.
How to RSVP for a Workshop
There is no additional charge to attend a workshop but you
must RSVP to attend. To RSVP for a workshop, visit www.
marinaassociation.org/imbc/registration and click full
conference registration. Fill out your contact information
and click “add to cart.” At the next page, click “continue
shopping” to navigate back to the registration page. From
the registration page, you can choose the workshop(s) you
would like to attend. Workshops are listed below conference
registration on the registration page.
IMBC 2013 Preliminary Brochure
Available
IMBC has published a 20-plus page preliminary brochure
showcasing some of the changes marina professionals will
see at the 2013 conference, January 30–February 1, 2013,
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Changes to the brochure include
categorized breakout sessions and limited-audience
workshops.
Click here to view the preliminary brochure.
“The preliminary brochure has been completely overhauled
to best highlight some developments we’ve added to this
year’s conference,” Jim Frye, AMI president, says. “IMBC
2013 will feature an extended seminar series with professional
speakers as well as experts within the marine industry,
breakout sessions sorted into specific coastal, inland,
and boatyard and service tracks, and limited-attendance
hands-on workshops.”
Breakout sessions at IMBC 2013 will be sorted into specific
tracks so IMBC attendees can choose a seminar based on
whether they run an inland or coastal marina and whether
their business includes a boatyard and service element.
Also, all seminars will be delineated with a session style
so you know what to expect when you walk into the room.
Topics include electrical safety at inland marinas, coastal
land leases, and tips and tricks of owning a boatyard.
Conference Corner Continued on Page 19