IBEX Show Preview - 10/1/2006

The 16th annual International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) sails into Miami, Fla. on Nov. 1-3, 2006, billed as the world's only boating tradeshow that offers both an exhibition of new products and educational sessions for the marine industry. At CT press time, IBEX had sold out all of its three exhibit halls at the Miami Convention Center - 810 exhibitors in all - and was reporting that a number of companies were on a waiting list for openings. Among the number on the floor will be 136 exhibitors that should be familiar to CT's marine industry readers, who will find them conveniently grouped together in the Composites Pavilion, located in Hall C (see the show floor map on p. 18). A new feature at last year's show, the Pavilion offers composites-minded attendees easy access to marine-oriented composite materials and molding process suppliers and service companies in one location. (For 2007, IBEX plans to add a fourth exhibit hall, to accommodate exhibitors turned away this year. In addition to its current Composites and International Pavilions, IBEX will inaugurate a third, the Tool & Machine Pavilion, which will be located adjacent to the Composites Pavilion. For 2007, show dates are Oct. 10-12.)

Co-sponsors Professional BoatBuilder magazine and the National Marine Manufacturers Assn. (NMMA) will host an opening-night reception in the exhibit hall aisles from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m on Wednesday, Nov. 1. An invitation-only Rep Night mixer, held on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will offer networking opportunities for boat manufacturer's representatives and customers. And Friday morning, the show's special events schedule is rounded out by the IBEX Industry Breakfast, which will include presentation ceremonies for the IBEX Innovation Awards and Alan J. Freedman Memorial Leadership Awards.

Composites One (Arlington Heights, Ill.) will once again hold a live demonstration, molding a 16-ft "knockabout"sailboat via light resin transfer molding (light RTM), and a 15-ft skiff hull, with a vacuum infusion process (VIP).

Conference seminars this year feature 53 presentations covering nine topics. Six of the 53 will be devoted to "Composites Materials & Methods,"with two sessions featured on each of the three days. In addition, daily "Super Sessions"- daylong information-intensive seminars - will focus on three successive topics: "Closed-Molding Basics,""The Powerboat Project"and "Networking Marine Systems."Meanwhile, Exhibitor Workshops will be presented each day from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. These free training sessions are open to registered attendees and cover a variety of new products and processes. Core supplier Alcan Baltek (Northvale, N.J.) and resin supplier Interplastics Corp. – Thermoset Resins Div. (St. Paul. Minn.) will present preshow workshops of interest to builders of composite boats.

Headed for Miami? Bring along this issue of CT. Its exhibitor locator directory, beginning on p. 19, features a separate listing for the Composites Pavilion. When you dock at the convention center, don't forget to drop anchor at booth #2047 and meet the CT staff. If you are not able to make the trip to IBEX this year, be sure to check out CT's upcoming December issue, which will feature postshow coverage of the new and innovative products and processes that make their debut at IBEX 2006.

For more information about show events, dates and times, contact either Anne Dunbar, Tel.: (716) 662-4708; E-mail: anneibex@adelphia.net.; or Tina Sanderson, Tel.: (802) 879-8324; E-mail: tinaibex@adelphia.net; Web site: www.ibexshow.com.