boot Düsseldorf 2013: spotlight on the industry’s themes of the future
Europe’s marine industry in the face of demographic challenges: preparing for the future / Conference at Messe Düsseldorf on 23 January 2013
Europe’s marine industry is a thriving branch of industry with 37,000 enterprises engaged in lively competition, a 234,000-strong workforce and annual sales of EUR 20 billion. Despite the currently problematical economic situation, Europe’s marine industry still leads the world and exports its products all over the globe. However, our ageing society is confronting the industry with major challenges. These will be addressed and discussed at an international conference at boot Düsseldorf 2013 on Wednesday, 23 January.
“Europe’s marine industry in the face of demographic challenges: preparing for the future” is the title of the conference. In three talks, international experts will examine the future trends in the industry and provide answers to strategic questions. The venue is the International Lounge at Messe Düsseldorf, Messe Center (exhibition centre), ground floor. The conference is targeted at executives and specialists of the marine industry and trade visitors to boot Düsseldorf who want a successful future for their businesses and are interested in the trends in and prospects for the industry.
And here are the subjects and speakers on 23 January:
What can the marine industry expect of Europe? Sebastian Kuck, member of the cabinet of EU Vice President and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani, will be reporting on the situation of the European marine industry and its development opportunities. He is a specialist in German and European competition law and EU funding law.
How to generate enthusiasm for boating! Having a superb product is no guarantee of finding a market. Boating is part of a life-style, and markets have to be actively developed. This is the opinion of Emmanuel Allot, Marketing & Sales Director for Southern Europe at TUI Marine. He reports on how to generate enthusiasm principally among young people and what expectations this target group has.
How must boats of the future be designed?
On average, boat owners are getting older. At the same time, since older people are those who have the time and the money to devote to recreational boating, they are a key target group. How do boats and yachts have to be designed to meet the needs of this age group? A study by Forschungsvereinigung für die Sport- und Freizeitschifffahrt e.V. (FVSF) [Recreational Boating Research Association] has investigated these issues. Dr Wolf-Dieter Mell, Institut für Boots-Tourismus (IBoaT) [Institute for Marine Tourism], Bonn, and Jürgen Tracht, Managing Director of FVSF and of the German Marine Industry Association (BVWW), Cologne, present the findings.
Attendance of the conference is free of charge. Registration is requested. The conference languages are English and German, with simultaneous translation. The programme and registration forms are available at www.boat-duesseldorf.com.
