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Singapore to host ICOMIA World Marinas Conference

Singapore recently won the right to host the next ICOMIA World Marina Conference, bringing this prestigious world event to Asia for the first time. ICOMIA is acronym for the International Council of Marine Industry Associations, a London based umbrella organisation that represents the recreational marine industry worldwide. To be held in Singapore in April 2011, the World Marina Conference is a triennial event organised by the ICOMIA Marinas Committee, one of several working groups within ICOMIA.

The WMC is the Mecca of the marina world, and is where industry professionals trek to, making it the largest industry gathering of its kind in the world. It is a platform for continuing education, outreach to the marina business community, and an opportunity to network with industry peers. Participants hear from industry experts and participate in a broad range of topics on marina management and development. Subjects including marina planning, handling superyachts, the role of nautical tourism, environmental issues, dredging requirements, and much more were on offer at the last conference held in Oostende, Belgium in May 2008.

Started by ICOMIA in 1993 with the inaugural conference in Amsterdam, the conference has since been hosted by Genoa, Fort Lauderdale (USA), Sydney, San Diego and most recently, Oostende (Belgium). Originally called the ICOMIA Marina Conference, the conference is to be rebranded as the World Marina Conference (WMC) to better reflect the global reach of the event. WMC2011 in Singapore marks a new milestone for the conference ? it is the first time the conference is coming to Asia. The conference will put Asia and the Middle East on the world marina map. There is a huge interest internationally in the emerging boating markets, especially at a time when growth in the mature boating markets is stagnating. Marinas are a key component of the value chain delivering boating enjoyment to the boating consumer. But marina infrastructure must be complemented by professional management and know-how. Bringing the conference to Singapore will make it more affordable for participants in the region to attend. It is a watershed occasion that marina operators and developers in the region will not want to miss?. WMC2011 is scheduled to run in Singapore in April 2011. The website www.worldmarinasconference.com is under development.

28-Sept 2008