September 16, 2025

In 2023, I attended the NMEA Conference & Expo that was held in Providence, RI that year and I was delighted with the people I met and the whole experience of the event. The 2025 NMEA Conference & Expo is coming right up on September 22 to 26 and yet, there is still time to attend. Here is the event schedule https://expo.nmea.org/schedule.html . This is the biggest little conference I have ever attended. By that I mean, it’s big in that all the marine electronics manufacturers are there and with their top people. There are great product displays in the Expo area with knowledgeable technicians to explain and answer questions. There are training sessions, seminars, group discussions and lots of learning opportunities. It’s a big conference, but with a close and personal feel. 

The future for our industry will be shaped by developments in electronics and technology and this offers a week of learning, networking and discovering the latest innovations. I spoke to President and Executive Director Mark Reedenauer just last week and he emphasized that for Canadians who attend, there is a great opportunity to build a network of other industry professionals who can help you in the future, when you face a challenge and need help, or when your customers need help when they are boating away from home.

Here is a video that we shot at the NMEA Conference in Providence in 2024. Have a look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LAy9DZ1jxw

Staffing issues are really in focus right now because as we reach the end of the season and head into the fall, it’s not uncommon for people to sign up to continue their education, relocate their homes and do other things to map out their future. We have both the Boating BC and Boating Ontario fall Conferences coming up and the end of the calendar year too. All these are common points of demarcation when people make changes and move around and as always, Boating Industry Canada News Week Digest will list your marine career opportunities at NO CHARGE as a way to support the industry. (See the section at the bottom of this News Week Digest).

For years, we have been hearing about shortages of people but I think there will be a growing discussion around “aging out” as well. Considering Canada’s demographic makeup, it seems reasonable to anticipate that we will have a wave of retirements building in the coming years and while that will mean we lose some senior people, it also leaves opportunities for younger people to move up.

Even if you have to invest your own money in the travel and registration costs, getting to upcoming events like the NMEA Conference & Expo, IBEX and of course, our own Boating BC and Boating Ontario fall Conferences, it is an investment in yourself and your career.

What better place could there be to invest for a better future?

Andy Adams – Editor