2024 January/February Marina World

EVENTS
Oscar Siches (standing) with Patrick
Lindley and Melanie Symes discuss
marinas of the future.
our comfort zone. We need to be
proactive and we don’t have the innate
knowledge so we are going to have to
ask.”
Lindley on building sustainably:
“Part of our role is to help marina
owners manage infrastructure more
efficiently. We’ve been looking at
materials and starting to measure
carbon footprint and we are surprised
by some new findings. The carbon
footprint of concrete and aluminium,
for example, are very similar and I’m
getting data that tells me that tropical
hardwood has the same carbon
footprint as composites.”
In terms of data usage, Symes
pointed out the value of using data from
diverse sources, e.g. oceanographic
data, and Lindley emphasised that
“data is measuring the path, not
predicting the future.”
The future of marinas in many
parts of the world is also affected by
concession terms – another reason
for tightening up good relations with
local councils and Government. Lindley
emphasised that a path needs to be
found that encourages investment in
Franco Ceroici (left) and Oscar Siches
fully engage the audience in highlighting
blinkered views on diversity that rob us
of the chance to enhance our lives and
businesses.
infrastructure in the end stages of a
concession.
Discussing diversity
Franco Ceroici of Italian dockside
equipment manufacturer Plus
International joined Oscar Siches to
discuss the merits of diversity within
the marina workforce. Idan Cohen of
Pick-a-Pier, scheduled as the third
presenter, was unfortunately unable to
travel from Israel due to the ongoing
Middle East conflict.
Siches, a well-travelled Argentine
who has lived in Mallorca, Spain for
many years, gave a fascinating slide
presentation explaining the diversity
issue:
“It is estimated that 80-85% of our
perception and learning are facilitated
through our visual sense. Vision is
important for many different skills
including interacting with others,
spotting danger or opportunities to
play, eat, sleep, finding things we
need, reading, writing etc.” But what
we ‘see’ doesn’t give us the full picture.
“A minority position [in society] often
makes you ‘racialised’ before you’re
allowed access to your ethnic identity.
While in their home countries they were
Moroccan or Jordanian or Algerian,
they come to the EU – and they’re
Arabs.”
“Diversity recognises that people
are unique and that each person is
different in a visible and non-visible way.
The qualifiers include race, nationality,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, age
and disability.”
How can we embrace diversity?
Current staff shortage might actually
help. Ceroici, a Slovenian brought up
in Italy, noted: “Diversity is very small
in the European workforce, but now
it’s harder to get staff, employees are
coming in from other parts of the world.”
But we need to ‘individualise’ rather
than ‘generalise’ these new recruits. “It’s
important to greet and acknowledge
people; make them visible,” Siches
emphasised. “We have a duty to reeducate
– the cleaner and the CEO
both go to the barbecue.”
The problem with diversity is within
companies. “Your marina is a mini
America – different people and different
cultures. We are permanently being
judged by the community and they have
more power than us. Gender, religion
– everything enhances your marina,”
Siches concluded.
www.marinaworld.com – January/February 2024
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