IBEX 2011 Preview

Last year, the International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) celebrated its 20th year — not in Miami, it’s long-time home, but far inland, along a well-traveled freshwater trade route, the Ohio River. IBEX 2011 marks the boatbuilding community’s return, Oct. 17-19, to that inland port of call, the Kentucky Exposition Center, in Louisville, Ky.

Despite the lingering effects of the Great Recession, IBEX organizers have gathered a group of 81 first-time exhibitors. Cohosts Professional BoatBuilder magazine and the National Marine Manufacturers Assn. (NMMA, Washington, D.C.) have assembled a Louisville conference lineup that includes a dozen free exhibitor workshops and more than 90 IBEX 2011 Seminar Series sessions (a 30 percent increase over last year), grouped in more than 15 educational tracks. Offerings include seven specialized technical boatbuilding tracks, and seven management, marine service and operations tracks, with an expanded set of dealer development tracks. Seminars will be led by more than 100 marine-industry experts. A number of special features are designed to give boatbuilders a well-rounded menu of educational, technical and networking possibilities. Of interest to CT readers: The “Composites Methods & Materials” track schedule features 11 seminars produced by Professional Boatbuilder magazine.

Educational activities begin before the show opens, with intensive, day-long training sessions (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) on Sunday, Oct. 16. The admission fee, $85 per person, includes lunch. The pre-show sessions will include the Composites Infusion Technology (CIT) Workshop, conducted by the Composites Consulting Group, an independent company launched in 2010 by, and allied with, core materials supplier DIAB Americas LP (DeSoto, Texas). In addition, West System a division of Gougeon Bros. (Bay City, Mich.), will present its annual training session on “Fiberglass Boat Repair.” The course covers basic repair techniques with epoxy, fastener bonding, composite repair, fairing, gel coat blisters, advanced composites and more.

Composites Pavilion

The locus of activity for boatwrights of the composites persuasion is the Composites Pavilion, a convenient gathering place for purveyors and users of composite materials and molding processes. The largest of the show’s three Pavilions (the other two serve visitors interested in the boatbuilding Aftermarket and Marine Compliance Standards & Education), it hosts displays from more than 100 marine composites exhibitors. (See the “IBEX 2011 Composites Pavilion Exhibitor List,” below). Exhibitors who advertised in this issue are in boldface type.) IBEX attendees will be able to consult directly with suppliers’ technical and engineering staff and, in a number of cases, see live demonstrations of their featured processes and products. Demos already scheduled in the Pavilion include Light RTM, spray-up equipment and vacuum infusion bagging techniques for closed molding of multiple parts.

Right outside the entrance doors to the convention hall, composite boatbuilders will find a favorite stop on their IBEX itinerary, the Outdoor Demonstration zone. Now a tradition at IBEX shows, the Closed Mold Alliance will be on hand to acquaint boatbuilders with the latest in closed molding materials and processing improvements. Alliance principals, including distributor Composites One (Arlington Hts., Ill.) and equipment manufacturer Magnum Venus Products (Clearwater, Fla.), plan cutting-edge materials and process improvements that this year will include the use of fiber preforms. Demos will include three methods for applying silicone bagging materials, and three closed molding methods: vacuum-infusion processing (VIP), light resin transfer molding (light RTM), and the Flex Molding Process developed by Magnum Venus Plastech (MVP). Nearby, Gibco Flex-Mold Inc. (Ft. Worth, Texas) will demonstrate “Non-Skid Applications and Repair,” featuring a process that reportedly enables boatbuilders and marine repair services to repair or re-pattern damaged production-mold parts successfully.

Opening day doings

On opening day, Monday, Oct. 17, boatbuilders will gather at the IBEX Industry Breakfast & Innovation Awards Presentation (7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.;
Room C-201). During the breakfast, the NMMA Hall of Fame will honor an individual whose name and contributions have made a lasting impact on the marine industry and NMMA will present the annual IBEX Innovation Awards, judged by Boating Writers International. The awards presentation will open with Thom Dammrich, president of NMMA, followed by the Mel Barr Award and the Innovation Award ceremonies.

Ranked alongside Lou Holtz and Bill Gates as one of the most in-demand speakers in America, keynoter Mikki Williams’ message of empowerment is expected to resonate with boatbuilders, designers and other members of the boating community who have been forced to adjust their thinking to remain competitive in today’s marketplace.

That evening at 7:00 p.m., all IBEX attendees and exhibitors are invited, again this year, to the “Fourth Street Live!” opening night celebration, which will be held outdoors in Louisville’s entertainment/retail venue located on Fourth St., a short walk form downtown hotels in the heart of the city’s historic district, with live music by The Magic Mama Band.

For more information, or to register for show events, contact IBEX,
PO Box 78, 41 WoodenBoat Lane, Brooklin, Maine 04616 USA;
 E-mail: info@ibexshow.com; Web site: www.ibex.com.

 

IBEX 2011 Composites Pavilion Exhibitor List

The list is based on IBEX informatioon available Sept. 15, 2001. Company name is followed by the booth number (booth numbers are subject tochagne; please confirm booth locatiosn with the supplier).

3M Marine    1619
Adhesives Systems Inc.    1245
AIM Supply Co.    1650
Airtech International Inc.    1526
Ashland Inc.    1318
ATC Formulated Polymers Inc.    1539
Baltek Inc./3A Composites    1618
Bellcomb Technologies    1638
Binks-ITW Industrial Finishing    1449
Bodi Company Inc.    1728
Club-Kit dba Clear Cote    1438
CMS North America Inc.    1626
Composite Fabrics of America    1551
Composite Polymer Design    1644
Composites Consulting Group    1350
Composites One    1431
Composites Technology    1649
DIAB Sales Inc.    1330
Diatrim Tools Ltd.    1344
DuPont Surfaces    1627
Dynabrade Inc.    1450
EBS LLC    1742
Eastman Machine Co.    1351
Farecla Inc.    1448
Ferro Corporation    1441
Fiber Glass Industries    1331
Fiberglass Coatings Inc.    1440
Fixtech Marine Solutions    1329
FlightSafety International    1744
Foam Supplies Inc.    1730
Frees Inc.    1339
Gibco Flex-Mold Inc.    1518
Hagemeyer North America    1748
I-Core Composites LLC    1221
Indasa Abrasives    1345
Interplastic Corporation/North American
  Composites    1419
Intertape Polymer Group    1645
IPS Structural Adhesives    1520
ITW Plexus    1430
ITW Polymer Technologies    1239
JEC Group    1443
Kayco Composites    1643
Kommerling USA Inc.    1550
LG Hausys    1740
Magnum Venus Plastech    1531
Mahogany Company    1633
Marine Concepts    1538
MAS Products/KARMAS    1233
Nexeo Solutions    1319
Norton    1219
Owatrol Coatings USA    1726
Paneltec LLC    1442
Parson Adhesives Inc.    1631
Piedmont Fiberglass    1444
Piedmont Plastics    1227
Plascore Inc.    1338
Presta Products    1251
Pro-Set Inc.    1521
SAS Safety Corp.    1348
Schott Baron    1543
Sika Corporation    1639
Smooth-On Inc.    1548
Spheretex America Inc.    1545
Stellar Marine Supply    1327
Structural Composites Inc.    1527
SWORL/Div. of Prairie Technology
  Group Inc.    1439
Thermwood Corp.    1651
Tricel Honeycomb Corp.    1418
Trimaco LLC    1349
United Resin Corp.    1427
Vectorply Corp.    1426
Vectorworks Marine LLC    1326
Vycom    1249
Warm Industrial Nonwovens    1642
West System Inc.    1519
Wolff Industries Inc.    1241
World Panel Products Inc.    1542
Zyrex Coatings    1738