July 14, 2026

New Hires Expand Education, Sales and Marketing Capabilities as IBEX Bolsters Year-Round Experiences for the Marine Industry. The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) has announced the addition of three new team members who will help strengthen the event’s education, sales and marketing initiatives while supporting continued growth across its annual event and year-round engagement efforts. The new hires reflect IBEX’s continued investment in creating an event experience that is more interactive, hands-on and responsive to the way marine professionals want to learn, connect and do business.  

April Bruffy-Metzger will serve as IBEX’s Experiential & Digital Sales Manager. With 25 years of experience in media and sponsorship sales, she brings extensive expertise in integrated media programs, event sponsorships, exhibit sales, digital marketing initiatives, content marketing, and live events. Throughout her career, she has held sales leadership roles with EndeavorB2B, Access Intelligence, HYVE Group, Houston Business Journal and other media and event organizations. In her new role, Bruffy-Metzger will focus on experiential activations, sponsorship opportunities, digital products, and IBEX 365 initiatives, helping expand revenue opportunities beyond traditional exhibit sales while strengthening customer relationships and building a sustainable year-round sales pipeline. 

Dana Howe joins the team as Education & Content Manager. She brings more than a decade of experience in trade show education, content development, sponsorship sales, and event management, with a strong background in the outdoor industry. Having worked across media, membership, programming, partnerships, and event growth initiatives, Howe will oversee the development and execution of the IBEX Education Conference while helping expand the organization’s year-round content strategy. Her efforts will include leveraging valuable educational resources from past IBEX events and Professional BoatBuilder Magazine content, connecting them to current industry trends, and creating new opportunities for ongoing industry engagement. Madison Ambrose joins IBEX as Marketing Specialist. Bringing hands-on marketing experience within the marine industry, she has developed expertise in social media management, content creation, event promotion, customer engagement, and brand visibility. In her role, Ambrose will help drive IBEX’s marketing efforts through enhanced social media engagement, in-house email marketing and campaign execution, improved exhibitor and attendee communications, and strategic initiatives designed to increase awareness and attendance for the event.

“These additions reflect our ongoing commitment to investing in the future of IBEX and the industry we serve,” said Mary Velline, IBEX Show Director. “Each of these new team members bring a unique blend of expertise, creativity, and industry knowledge that will help us enhance the value we provide exhibitors, attendees, sponsors and partners throughout the year. As IBEX continues to evolve to meet the industry’s needs, their contributions will play an important role in strengthening our content, customer engagement and business development efforts alike.”

IBEX is scheduled to return to the Tampa Convention Center, with IBEX 2026 Show dates set for October 6-8, 2026. For tickets and more information, visit www.ibexshow.com.