BMEA

The 2011 British Marine Electronics Association Conference is due to take place on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 at the Portsmouth Marriott Hotel. The annual event provides an opportunity for all sides of the marine industry to get together not only to discuss topics of mutual interest but also to create and build beneficial business relationships.

Introduced by Derek Gilbert, BMEA Chairman, the Conference will include a number of presentations by distinguished speakers. Among the subjects that will be covered are; ‘Fair Trading and competition’ by John Bridgeman (Vice Chairman British Waterways),  ‘Satellite Navigation’ by Professor Terry Moore, (Nottingham University) , ‘Shore to ship supplies and energy storage’ by Matthew Scales (Magnus Marine Ltd) , ‘AIS’ by  Paul Sumpner (Digital Yacht) & James Turner, (McMurdo), ‘Apprenticeships’ by Keith Longman (Berthon Boat Company Ltd) and ‘Thermography – Current Technology and its future’ by a representative from FLIR.   Ian Lockyer (Icom UK Ltd) will also outline BMEA Membership Benefits.

After a full day of conferencing and the Annual General Meeting, there will be the Annual Dinner which will see four major awards announced:

• BMEA Waterside Dealer of the Year Award sponsored by Garmin UK Ltd
• BMEA Product of the Year Award sponsored by Boating Business
• BMEA Newly Certificated Technician of the Year Award sponsored by Raymarine UK Ltd
• BMEA Lifetime Achievement Award

Ian Lockyer (BMEA Marketing) said, ’Our customers will again have the opportunity to choose the ‘Industry’s Dealer’ and ‘Product of the Year’ by simply voting at  http://www.bmea.org/dealer-and-product-of-the-year-2011/ over a 2 month period from the beginning of August.  The ‘BMEA Newly Certificated Technician of the Year Award’ will be chosen from a shortlist of newly certificated engineers across the industry. The ‘BMEA Lifetime Achievement Award’ will be given to someone who the BMEA committee feels has contributed the most to the marine electronics/electrical industry.’

The Conference is open to all in the marine industry – and is free for up to 2 delegates from BMEA member companies; additional delegates, and non-BMEA members will be charged £59 per person – to include entrance to all the presentations, coffee, lunch and dinner.

Any non-BMEA member interested in attending should contact Tony Johns, Secretary of the BMEA by email secretary@bmea.org.