Boating Industry Canada October 2015 - (Page 14)

IBEX 2015 louisville, Kentucky BY ANDY ADAMS I have just returned from what was again a really exciting and productive visit to the IBEX Show in Louisville, Kentucky held on September 15, 16 and 17, 2015. The biggest excitement for me this year was that there was a record number of entries into the Innovation Awards competition and that reflects the really upbeat and positive momentum that the industry has going now. New products are a big driver of show attendance and new boat sales too, but our Canadian readers will be able to get their hands on these great new products through our Canadian marine distributor dealer shows that are taking place across Canada. Have a look at our Innovation Awards coverage in this article and online too. That will give you a preview of some of the exciting things that you will be seeing at the distributors shows and events this fall. I think it's unfortunate that I don't see more of our Canadian boatbuilders and technicians in the IBEX Education Seminars. They are different from the ones that you'll see at the distributor shows and there's a lot of really high-end information available. IBEX is a collaboration between Professional Boatbuilder magazine and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, NMMA. Professional Boatbuilder does a great job of developing the Educational Seminar series. That was one of the important things that I talked about when I sat down with Anne Dunbar, the IBEX Show Manager. Anne also commented that the 2015 show was their fifth show in Louisville Kentucky and she emphasized that there was a lot more to the show than just the Innovation Awards. She mentioned that the National Marine Electronics Manufacturers Association, (NMEA) again put on their 14 Boating Industry Canada OCTOBER 2015 Connected Boat display where a large number of manufacturers came together to show off their NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 products and to demonstrate how these important protocols help all the electronics components to work together to benefit the boat owner. Another feature Anne spoke of was the Future Materials display put on through Composite World magazine and showing off important materials suitable for the marine industry that so far, are only being used in the aerospace or automobile industries. Another fascinating demonstration area display area this year was in 3-D printing where displays by Cincinnati Inc., and Stratsys showed both large parts and smaller components. These technologies have the ability to change our industry in very dramatic ways and it was well worth attending IBEX just to see what's possible with these new manufacturing technologies. On the other hand, Anne Dunbar was quick to emphasize that the show absolutely covers every product area you can think of from marine electronics to components like windshields and wakeboard towers, everything to do with resins, cores, composites materials, tools and techniques. As you would expect, all of the engine companies were there with big displays and entries into the Innovation Awards program. Anne Dunbar pointed out that everyone is innovating these days and boats are evolving fast. That's why the educational seminar series is so valuable. Many of the sessions are very high technology to provide boatbuilders and manufacturers the opportunity to learn about beneficial new materials in the composites world, EPA-mandated emissions controls, the new on-board fuel systems and far more.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boating Industry Canada October 2015

InsIght
Industry News
GE SpotlIght
PRODUCT FOCUS – IBEX SHOW 2015: IBEX 2015 was a treasure trove of new products and Boating Industry Canada brings you the show coverage plus a number of video interviews. – by Andy Adams
Ad Nauseam
IMPACT - MARK BRUCKMANN: A long overdue profile on Bruckmann Yachts, at the heart of Canadian boatbuilding since the dawn of fiberglass. – by Andy Adams
MADE IN CANADA – MARSKEEL: For Mars Metal of Burlington Ontario, it’s what’s on the bottom that counts and their MarsKeel diviosion has established itself as a global leader in lead ballast keels – by Glen Cairns
MADE IN CANADA – VOYAGER: Voyager Self Steering Inc. was founded by Peter Teitz, a Canadian sailor and retired machinist/patternmaker living in Kitchener, Ontario. – by Glen Cairns

Boating Industry Canada October 2015