2021 November December Marina World

IWMC: DUBAI
sinuous 2.5nm of artificial canal, and
a broad offering of F&B surrounding
all and creating a very pleasant side
promenade enjoyed by locals and
foreigners. It is particularly popular in
the early morning (joggers) and in the
evening (family strolls).
While on board we all listened in
to state of the industry presentations
from around the globe. There were
a few technical glitches when it
came to the visuals but the speakers
graciously improvised with viva voce
presentations, all much enjoyed
by the attentive audience.
Later on we were transported
to P&O Mina Rashid Marina,
visiting the facility with the last
light and admiring the colossal
mass of Queen Elizabeth 2,
resting there close to the centre
of Dubai and reminding us of
the maritime glory of years
gone past. We embarked on the
transatlantic liner to have our
gala dinner – hosted by P&O
Marinas – and, for the first time,
the ceremony of the Golden
Cleat Award (see p.39).
Third conference day
Greener and sustainable marinas
were the matters up for discussion.
Emmanuel Delarue, an architect with
vast experience designing and building
in Asia, talked about making smart
cities with smart marinas work, both
benefitting from the interfacing. Circular
economy advantages, pointed out by
Kellie Covington, gave valuable insight
into what needs to be done for the
future of the sector. Great presentations
by Christophe Saune and Michael De
Jong followed on how to build resilience
and sustainability into nautical tourism
and marinas.
Idan Cohen from Pick a Pier showed
us how to benefit from connections
between marinas, and Kevin Desmond
presented great examples of electric
systems from other industries that can
be applied to marinas. Kresimir Zic
from Croatia followed up by explaining
how IT can be applied very efficiently
in marina operations, resulting in
significant improvements in terms of
quality and safety, as well as having
financial benefits. The final presentation
of this session offered delegates the
opportunity to learn about and view the
results of the anti-sedimentation system
called Life Marina Plan, developed by
the University of Bologna.
Sara Anghel, Martinho Fortunato,
Udo Kleinitz and I then outlined the
areas of engagement with authorities
that need to be recognised as
The sponsor booth area, where lunch and
refreshments were served, was the perfect
spot for extra networking.
contributing to economy and tourism
and also what areas to expect as
regulatory development progresses.
Session seven focused on
operational trends. Niklas Dahlstrom
from Emirates Airlines explained the
challenges around human resource
training, a key consideration in a world
in constant transformation, especially
with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mika Parviainen of Marinetek discussed
how the growing demand for floating
residential developments in marinas
will impact new layouts and operations.
Dean Smith of D-Marin outlined the
requirements associated with the size
increase of yachts and Vasco de Cet
reminded us about the important role
of marinas as the frontier between land
and sea in terms of infrastructure and
operational impact.
In summarising the conference – and
remember the theme is empowering
tourism and economies – the
organising members pointed out two
main conclusions: priority number one
is the human element. Priority two is
digitisation. It’s a must, but has to be
handled carefully, and we must all learn
how to live with it.
Each IWMC conference
usually closes with a
glimpse into the future
of the series, and
delegates from Vilamoura
in Portugal did not
disappoint in delivering
an enticing presentation
for the 2023 conference
venue.
We all loved meeting
up personally once
again. The size of the
conference allowed
for easy direct contact
and there was plenty
of time to mingle and chat. All the
venues throughout were fantastic and,
combined with the local efforts of LMA
MENA and P&O Marinas, the warm
welcome was overwhelming. We
moved from fear of the unknown to total
fulfilment. The organisers of the Dubai
ICOMIA World Marinas Conference did
a superb job.
* The above report was compiled
using ICOMIA Conference reports and
Oscar Siches’ own impression of the
IWMC 2021 event
40
www.marinaworld.com – November/December 2021