International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference Offers Visitors Education and Events from Industry Partners and Exhibiting Companies 

Tampa, Fla. – The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) announced today a series of Super Sessions and special events, as part of its Education Conference. The Super Sessions are hosted by exhibiting companies and industry associations to offer in-depth training and topic-specific learning. These pre-conference Super Sessions take place Sunday and Monday (September 29-30), prior to the opening of the IBEX Exhibit Halls on Tuesday, October 1.

Among the 10 Super Sessions being offered at IBEX, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) will host the full-day session Challenges and Solutions in Workforce Development and the Association of Marina Industries (AMI) will host two Super Sessions, Marinas 101 and the Tampa Area Marina & Boatyard Tour. Other Super Sessions will be hosted by American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA), American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), AIRMAR, CZone, National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA), WEST SYSTEM, and Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).

“Our Education Conference is a big part of what draws visitors to IBEX,” said Anne Dunbar, IBEX Show Director. “The broad range of seminars, super sessions, and special events provide an outstanding opportunity for marine professionals to increase their understanding of the latest developments in their field. We appreciate all the work our industry partners and exhibitors do to create unique learning experiences that make our expanded program more valuable.”

In addition to the pre-conference Super Sessions, there are several Special Events being held before and during the show. Along with its Super Session on September 30, SNAME will hold its one-day, two-track Small Craft Technology Symposium. This symposium will consist of presentations of technical papers by subject matter experts on new design concepts, structural design issues, safety, and analysis techniques. 

The 3rd annual Grow Boating Marketing Summit, also held on September 30, is a full-day of learning focused on the latest in digital marketing practices. The event features educational and inspirational speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.

This winter, IBEX and Professional BoatBuilder magazine invited design students and working yacht designers under the age of 30 to imagine the world and their profession 30 years from now. These designers submitted study plans, interior layout and systems, description of construction technology and materials, performance predictions, and a description of the boat’s intended use. The top three finalists will defend their designs to a judging panel on Wednesday, October 2 and models of their designs will be featured on Designer Row, sponsored by Tides Marine, in the seminar hall.

A fast-paced and fun experience planned for Wednesday, October 2 at 1 p.m. pits teams of two competing in the IBEX Vacuum Bagging Challenge, with technical expertise offered by PRO-VAC. Participants will go head-to-head to seal a vacuum bag around the perimeter of a 4×4 panel with a balloon underneath. Success is achieved with the team that follows set parameters without popping the balloon with the lowest elapsed time. The Vacuum Bagging Challenge is free to participate in and an entertaining event to watch. 

For information about the IBEX Education Conference Super Sessions, please visit https://www.ibexshow.com/supersessions/. For more information on IBEX 2019, exhibiting companies, interactive exhibit hall floor plans, and more, please visit www.ibexshow.com. To register for the Show, click here. 

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About the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX):
IBEX, Where Better Boats Begin (www.ibexshow.com), is the marine industry’s largest technical trade event in North America and is powered globally by METSTRADE, the world’s leading platform and community for professionals in the leisure marine equipment industry. IBEX is owned and produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (www.nmma.org) and RAI Amsterdam (www.rai.nl). The 2019 IBEX is scheduled to take place at the Tampa Convention Center, October 1 – 3, in Tampa, FL USA. For more information, please visit www.ibexshow.com.

IBEX 2019 Dates and Times:
Tuesday and Wednesday October 1^st and 2^nd – 1^st and 2^nd Floor: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 3^rd Floor 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, October 3^rd – 1^st and 2^nd Floor: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3^rd Floor 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.