June 12, 2016

Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington to be Keynote Speaker for Industry Breakfast 

Registration for the 26th International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), the marine industry’s largest technical trade event, is now open. All marine industry professionals can register for IBEX online today to participate in the world-renowned training and technical education conference, October 4-6, 2016, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, FL.

“The opening of registration coincides with the announcement of our 2016 education conference; a selection of topics from in-depth technical seminars to trends impacting the marine industry, which again promises to deliver education you can’t get anywhere else,” said Anne Dunbar, IBEX Show Director.  “In addition to our training and technical education, we are pleased to announce our keynote speaker for the Industry Breakfast is Kevin Harrington, entrepreneur and Original Shark on the ABC hit, Emmy winning TV show, Shark Tank.”

IBEX SEMINAR SERIES: The IBEX Seminar Series offers world-renowned technical education from fundamental skills to cutting-edge, advanced training and is designed for shop floor crew, seasoned technicians, and company officers. The series offers seminars hosted by leading experts specifically selected by the editors of Professional BoatBuilder magazine and the events’ education partners-ABYC, ABBRA, NMEA, and NMMA.

IBEX SUPER SESSIONS (pre-conference sessions): The IBEX Super Sessions, offer specialty trainings, produced by exhibitors, to review in-depth, hands-on technical topics. 

TECH TALK WORKSHOPS: New products, short talks, and live demos give attendees the opportunity to connect, listen, see, and experience live presentations hosted by exhibitors every hour on the hour.

IBEX kicks off on Tuesday, October 4th at 7:30 am with the Industry Breakfast, featuring the presentation of the IBEX Innovation Awards and the announcement of the NMMA Hall of Fame winners. The keynote speaker for the event will be Kevin Harrington, the Inventor of the Infomercial, and Original Shark on the ABC hit TV show Shark Tank. Since the ’80s, Harrington has launched over 20 businesses that have grown to more than $100 million in sales each. Today he operates a private consulting firm, which works with companies to increase distribution

Register online for IBEX to visit with top marine exhibitors, attend the Industry Breakfast, and/or participate in the Seminar Series. Current 2016 exhibitors wishing to register for IBEX, received an email with registration details.

Attendees can receive a 10% discount off seminar pricing and packages for three (3) or more from the same organization if registered before September 9, 2016. Discount applies to paid seminars only (Super Sessions and Industry Breakfast excluded).Students receive 50% discount off established seminar rates-with marine school ID and if registered before September 9, 2016. To receive the discounts, please contact  Joanne Miller  or  ibexregistration@expologic.com.

The sold out IBEX show floor is the largest North American annual technical trade event for boat building, design, and maintenance, celebrating over two decades of marine innovation, technology, and excellence.  The 2016 event will add a first floor exhibit hall with more than 150 new exhibitors as a result of the growing strength of the industry. For a complete list of exhibitors, click here. 

About the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX)

IBEX, Where Better Boats Begin, is the marine industry’s largest technical trade event, owned and produced by Professional BoatBuilder magazine and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and annually gathers thousands of industry professionals. Professional BoatBuilder, a boatbuilding-industry trade magazine, was first published in 1989 in response to a growing need for a dedicated forum for those working in design, construction, and repair and has a worldwide readership exceeding 24,000. The National Marine Manufacturers Association is the leading association for the North American recreational boating industry whose member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats engines, trailers, accessories, and gear used by boaters in North America.