Marinas24: big turnout for new venue

The Marinas24 International Conference and Trade Exhibition reaffirmed its place as one of the largest marina industry conferences in the world after welcoming 398 delegates across a two-day event at the Royal International Convention Centre (RICC) in Brisbane in May.

Commenting on the new venue, Suzanne Davies, CEO of event organiser Marina Industries Association (MIA), said: “On the back of record attendance at Marinas22 on the Gold Coast two years ago, it was clear we had outgrown a hotel format for this event. The RICC was selected as it provided us with the flexibility to grow the exhibition and the conference while maintaining the intimacy of sole use of venue and, with the numbers that supported this event, it was the right decision.”
The programme, which brought together a fantastic line-up of speakers, was opened by the Hon Michael Healy MP, Queensland Minister for Tourism Industry Development and a strong supporter of the industry. He highlighted the measures in place for future sector growth. An economic forecast and implications for the industry was delivered by Tapas Strickland, NAB director of economics, which set the scene for Andrew Chapman, MIA president, to present the latest Health of the Industry data and Suzanne Davies to discuss how the MIA will support industry growth and success.
Plenty of industry issues and opportunities were explored in the concurrent sessions including insurance, legal implications, lithium, workforce challenges, alternative power sources, yield management and shared boat clubs.
Conference highlights included discussions on the opportunities in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, and an exceptional keynote panel of experts from Dana Point California (Joe Ueberroth), Sanctuary Cove (Greg Shaw) and the green field site North Harbour (Bryan Finney) who shared their success in creating vibrant and profitable marina precincts.
Plenty of time was allocated to enable delegates to visit the 60+ industry exhibitors who showcased the latest products and services.
Several highly relevant industry publications were also launched, including the 2023 Health of the Australian Marina Industry Report. As in past years, Michigan State University in the USA conducted the research and collected data from over 40% of Australia’s marinas. Findings revealed that, in accordance with government supplied models, these 291 marinas contribute over $2.4 billion to the Australian economy.
The MIA also released its Climate Ready Guidance, a free member resource to help marina owners and operators transition to a low carbon economy and build resilience in terms of infrastructure and operations, and Nautilus Marine Insurance, supported by the MIA, launched its guidance material for marinas and boat owners on the Risks and Management of Lithium Batteries.
As always, social events formed a major part of the delegate experience. A Welcome Reception on the forecourt of the RICC was held amongst impressive exhibits from some of the industry’s biggest players. A structured networking Happy Hour was held in the evening on Day 1 and the Bellingham Bar at the conference hotel was the social hub for everyone. The event closed with the Super Jetties Soirée, held at Howard Smith Wharves.
The Marinas24 Study Tour took delegates to Brisbane’s biggest maintenance facilities, The Yard, Brisbane and Rivergate Marina and Shipyard before heading on to d’Albora Eastcoast Marina and Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.