Post event reports

Boot is back in business big time

After a corona-imposed two-year hiatus, the megashow was back on, and what a resurgence it was. After I landed on a morning flight, I jumped on the bus that went from the airport to the expo complex. The route went almost all around the complex in a clockwise fashion before we got to Eingang Nord, or the North entrance, which was my stop.

“Despite the difficult general conditions, boot 2023 has written a success story. We would not have dreamt of this outcome. boot has finally reached calm waters and is once again firmly anchored in its Düsseldorf home port. The successful comeback has demonstrated that trade fairs ‘made in Düsseldorf’ have an international appeal,” stated Wolfram Diener, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf.

 

As to why the footfall was so good, I cannot say for sure, but my guess is that it was partly due to a pent-up appetite after the pandemic

Baltictech 2022 impressions

This was my first visit to a Baltictech conference. At long last, I finally got the chance as it wasn't held almost at the same time as DEMA—which is always a priority because of the significant amount of our business we conduct there.

Baltictech, like other such conferences, has been held every other year in recent years, but not since 2019 due to the epidemic so this time around, there was a three-year break.

Image

DAN Thanks Dive Pros and Businesses for a Great 2022

Its Enhanced Membership, launched earlier this year, has already been adopted by more than half of its members.

Its liability insurance program has been embraced by every training agency in the industry.

And now, DAN has the highest number of Business Members and Professional Members in the history of the organization.

“We are so grateful for the support we receive from the wonderful people of this industry,” said DAN president and CEO Bill Ziefle.

DEMA Show 2022
DEMA Show 2022

Skinny but upbeat DEMA Show

After two years of disruption because of the pandemic, DEMA Show was back in gear. Well, largely. It was still markedly more compact than the pre-pandemic editions but still a large show with far more booths than one could reasonably manage to visit during its four days. Also importantly, the mood appeared to be upbeat, with businesses eager to ramp up activities as the industry and travel activities pull away from the doldrums. 

Image
DEMA 2022
Gareth Lock's presentation captivates the audience

Diving Talks 2022 – report

One evening, I told Arlindo Serrao, the organiser of the Diving Talks, that number two, following up on a prior success, was often challenging. I was referring to the fact that most movie sequels, with The Terminator and The Godfather being notable exceptions, often fail to get the same sort of traction as the first one; and that book authors and musicians frequently have less success with their second opus.

MIDE 2021 a success for both exhibitors and attendees

Staying true to its theme, “Let’s Meet & Dive Locally,” the show aimed to kickstart the country’s dive industry and welcomed over 7,000 visitors during the three-day event with over 400 exhibitors, resulting in over RM5 (US$1.2) million in sales.

The bold decision to hold the show drew the attention, endorsement and partnership of several government agencies and leaders, including Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who addressed the event and said that he saw the dive community playing an important role in the recovery of tourism in Malaysia.

Immi Wallin, Jeff Lindsay and Paolo Costa each talked about wrecks and are nowtaking questions from the audience.

Back in business

It felt a bit surreal heading to the airport again for the first time in almost two years. I used to frequently attend various dive shows, events and conferences and go through the airport as a matter of routine. But that was before the pandemic shut everything down some 21 months ago.

Video file

Short video sample of a presentation; Immi Wallin talks about her ongoing search for WW2 wrecks in

Presentations aside

What also made this event extra pleasant was the great food, and that the temperature outdoors was very comfortable and balmy. When compared to so many other conferences, which are often held during late fall or winter in colder and darker regions, being able to sit outside and dine in pleasant temperatures and still be able to walk around in shorts and short sleeves was a real bonus.

Image
Fado

First ever Human Factors in Diving conference recordings are now available

Gareth Lock, The Human Diver

The event featured world-leading speakers speaking on how applying human factors can improve diving safety, incident reporting and team performance.

The first-ever event of its kind, the conference provided a unique opportunity to share the knowledge and skills to make diving safer, more effective, and more enjoyable, by allowing divers and instructors to take more informed risks and reduce uncertainty.