The fifth edition of the Korea International Boat Show (KIBS), the nation’s largest water sports exhibition, was held at the Jeongok Port (Hwaseong-si) and Tando Port (Ansan-si) from 30 May – 3 June 2012 and was opened by the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Kim Moon-Soo. The five-day show attracted 200 exhibitors and included the Asia Marine Industry Conference on Thursday 31 May, with over 100 delegates in attendance. The Conference’s key-note speaker was Mr Tony Rice, Secretary General of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), who was invited by KIBS to share his expertise on the industry.
Mr Rice delivered a very well received presentation on ‘ICOMIA and its Contribution to the Global Marine Industry’, initially addressing the issue of boat show development. Mr Rice noted that ICOMIA will continue to improve the relationship of its members, as exhibitors, with boats shows and continue to encourage boat show organisers to meet the ICOMIA Code of Excellence that sets out 11 measures organisers must meet in order to become a member of the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO) or a sustaining member of ICOMIA.
Mr Rice talked about ICOMIA’s Global Environmental Legislation Guide which provides a summary of international environmental legislation and he discussed the work of the ICOMIA Marinas Group; which takes a lead role in visiting emerging markets to support the development of marinas and related projects with its outreach programme. Tying together marinas and the environment, Mr Rice talked about ICOMIA’s Clean Marinas Programme, which encourages national marine associations to develop their own national clean marinas programme. In addition, Mr Rice spoke about ICOMIA’s global industry statistics; widely acknowledged as the only authoritative and reliable source of information available on the worldwide recreational boating industry, and he emphasised ICOMIA’s involvement in the development of international standards for boats and marine equipment. Referring to ICOMIA’s Global Conformity Guidelines, developed to help boat builders to export overseas by bridging the trans-Atlantic gap between the American Boat and Yacht Council and ISO Standards, Mr Rice commented on the great benefit of having common international standards to allow international trade to develop.
“I was very pleased and proud to attend the 2012 Korean International Boat Show and to present at the Asia Marine Industry Conference” says Mr Rice, “I am truly impressed with what has been achieved at the show over the last five years”. He adds, “I greatly admire the very real progress that has been made in Korea to build the infrastructure that is fundamental to the development of boating as a leisure activity”.
The Korea International Boat Show became a sustaining member of ICOMIA in 2011 and is also a member of IFBSO.