IBEX 2015 opens in 19 days - WOW! If you have not registered, now is the time. Click here to get started registering. If you prefer to talk with a live person, you can do your registration over the phone by calling 484-751-5135.
Now should you need a little incentive, let me provide you with that. IBEX 2015 will host 550 exhibitors from 14 countries. We will welcome 110 NEW-to-IBEX-exhibitors this year. The show floor sold out back in May, we added more booths - and we are sold out again. We have a record number of Innovation Award entries this year, which means there are more new products to see at IBEX than ever. For a sneak peek at these new products please see today's press release, click here.
Here are some of the highlights you can expect on-site this year:
Industry Breakfast, Innovation Awards Presentation, & 2015 keynote speaker Johnny Bench, Tuesday, September 15 , 7:30 AM–9:30 AM at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Tickets are $30 per person. All the Innovation Awards entries will be available along Innovation Way in the exhibit hall - you should not miss this new product display on-site.
Composites Challenge & Cocktail Competition, Tuesday, September 15th at 5 PM in the Composites Pavilion. The IBEX Composite Pavilion hosts all of the leading composite companies servicing the marine industry today. Their annual pavilion party is unique and challenging. Test your composites knowledge while you judge who concocted the best cocktail in the Composites Pavilion.
Opening Night Party on Fourth Street LIVE! will be held Tuesday, September 15th, after the exhibit hall closes at 6 PM. You can enjoy entertainment, live music, and great food with other marine industry professionals in downtown Louisville’s premier entertainment district. IBEX badge holders will receive drink and dinner discounts in many of the restaurants on Fourth Street.
Coffee and Compliance , Wednesday, September 16th, in the Compliance, Standards, and Education Pavilion. Plan to stop by for coffee, pastries, and networking with industry leaders. “Coffee and Compliance" is a free session where exhibitors and attendees can meet with experts in marine certification and standards and can discuss current trends and compliance issues affecting the industry. Exhibitors are invited from 9 AM – 10 AM, and all are invited from 10 AM – 11 AM.
Bourbon & Brew Happy Hour , Wednesday, September 15, 5 PM – 6 PM, throughout the exhibit halls. Some of Kentucky’s best local distilleries and breweries will be spread throughout the IBEX exhibit floor to create a trail of the tastiest bourbons and beers while you network with the entire industry.
Rock the Yacht Pre-Party and Concert at 6 PM. Marine professionals can attend a concert featuring Little River Band, Ambrosia, Player, Stephen Bishop, and Robbie Dupree, who will be playing their 80s hits. The Pre-Party begins at 6 PM, just as the show closes at the Kentucky Exposition Center with live music, food, and drinks and is followed by the concert. Tickets for the concert can be purchased in Hall B Lobby or by clicking here.
And if that is not enough - I've got more for you:
FUTURE MATERIALS EXHIBIT - A new hands-on exhibit at the center of the Composites Pavilion. Curated by editors from Professional BoatBuilder and CompositesWorld magazines, this collection of new materials, processes, and technologies has been gathered from a wide variety of sources including marine, aerospace, and automotive industries, plus some applied academic research and development. The goal is to present a mix of innovative near-term practical applications for boatbuilders as well as ideas to inspire novel solutions to present and future challenges in composites design, fabrication, end-use marketing, recycling, and repair.
IBEX 3D DIGITAL WORKSHOP - IBEX is pleased to partner with Cincinnati Incorporated, a company that was founded in 1898, and whose product lines include CO2 and fiber lasers, automation, press brakes, shears, powdered metal presses, and BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing). Stop by and see samples of large 3D parts including a kayak, and consult with their expert staff to learn more about the many new manufacturing processes now applicable to the marine industry.
MAKERMOBILE TRAILER- The MakerMobile is a collaboration between Velocity Indiana and San Francisco-based TechShop. Onboard the modified 32-foot trailer is a staff of experts and a variety of maker tools including 3D printers, laser cutters, a vinyl cutter, a CNC machine, laptop workstations and electronics kits.
THE CONNECTED BOAT INTERACTIVE DISPLAY - It's hard to keep up with all the changes taking place in overall system connectivity, and that's why this year IBEX offers an expanded display to showcase the latest and greatest with even more products on display providing real-world solutions to challenging connectivity issues.
And finally, IBEX’s Education Conference offers more than 80 sessions packed with opportunities to examine best practices, innovative processes, and new techniques designed to improve operations at every level. It is comprised of three formats, making it easy for attendees to gain knowledge they can bring back to their businesses.
The Super Sessions are specialty workshops, produced by exhibitors, which review in-depth topics and provide hands-on interaction with materials and processes. These Sessions are held the day before the exhibit floor opens on Monday, September 14, and allow participants to focus solely on training. Seats are limited for the IBEX Super Sessions, and those wanting to participate should not delay in registering.
The Seminar Series runs all three days of IBEX and allows attendees to earn continuing education credits (CEUs) in eight separate tracks, making it easy to choose the most appropriate seminars. Tracks include boatyard and marina operations, composite methods and materials, design and engineering, manufacturing management and policy, marine electrical systems, onboard systems, survey and repair, and ProBoat Editor’ Picks.
The Exhibitor Workshop Theater is located on the exhibit floor and has a packed schedule of presentations this year. Attendees can participate in any of these workshops without leaving the exhibit floor. A workshop runs every hour, and are FREE to IBEX attendees.
So there you have it - IBEX 2015 in a nutshell. You will of course have many more experiences, conversation, and "ah-ha moments" as you spend 3-days walking the show floor, learning from industry experts, and taking in all the new products, innovation, and technology.
For full IBEX details, please visit our website www.ibexshow.com.
I look forward to welcoming you to IBEX 2015.
-Kate Holden, IBEX Marketing Director