It was relatively easy to take a weekend trip there – at least for me, who can get to my local airport, Copenhagen, in half an hour. From there, it's just over an hour's flight to Brussels, where our equipment editor Lelle Malmström joined me from Stockholm. We then took a train directly from the terminal to Antwerp – tickets can be purchased from a vending kiosk in the airport – and soon arrived at the hotel, which was located directly opposite the exhibition halls. The entire trip was hassle-free and took only a few hours.

After taking part in all five editions, since the inaugural event in 2021 at the resort Troia, about an hour south of Lisbon, I have had a front-row view of the journey and evolution the conference has undergone. The core principles and format remain the same, emphasising talks and meaningful socialising with both presenters and fellow attendees during the conference days. The pleasant pace and atmosphere, as well as the top-notch catering, remain the same.

It was a relief to see the crowds entering the Scandinavian Dive Show on the morning of Saturday, 10 February. Tommy Jarnbrink, the founder and principal organiser, alongside the X-Ray Mag team, worked tirelessly to organise and promote the expo to both local and international networks, aiming to attract new attendees. Following the 2023 edition, it became apparent that a new format was essential for the show's future.

Contact organiser Tommy Jarnbrink for further information about next year's Scandinavian Dive Show.

Try dives were offered in the pool which was set up at the junction between the boat show halls a

Entering the exhibition hall on Day One at MIDE 2023 gave me a distinct buzz. Squaring my shoulders in anticipation, I walked past the booths and waved hello to old friends. As I made my way deeper into the hall, I felt a raising sense of excitement. MIDE 2023 was my first overseas dive show since the pandemic, and it appeared to be off to a promising start.

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.

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.

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.