The International WORK BOAT SHOW

Sponsored by WorkBoat and National Fisherman December 5-7, 1991, New Orleans, Louisiana More than 10,000 workboat and commercial marine professionals are expected to gather at the Louisiana Superdome inNew Orleans, December 5-7,1991 for the 13th annual International Workboat Show, one of the largest trade exhibitions on workboat products, suppliers and services in the world. The show has been devised for workboat industry professionals who build or buy, maintain, supply, own or operate any of the shallowd r a f t "workhorses" in North America's substantial inland, offshore or coastal fleets. The latest industry statistics indicate that there are about 7,500 tugs and towboats and more than 30,000 barges operating in American inland, harbor and coastal waters.

Last year, the Workboat Show presented over 350 companies in 650 booths. This year, according to Stephen McDonough, director of sales and marketing for the show, more than 700 booths will be on display. Attendance is also expected to rise to as many as 12,000, the highest attendance figure for the show since the boom days in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980s.

Mr. McDonough attributes the increased interest in the show to a recovery in the shallow-draft industry over the last couple of years, as well as a broadening of the scope of the show to include more on rivers, lakes, and inland waterways, as well as ferries, tugs, towboats and barges.

Mr. McDonough added t h a t exhibits will highlight products and services for all major segments of the commercial marine industry, including vessels, engines, electronics, safety equipment and gear, etc.

A special feature of the 1991 Workboat Show is "WorkBoat 2000," a seminar program specifically created to provide information on current and future industry issues.

Marine industry experts will share their special insight, knowledge and experience on the status of the industry today and where it will be in the year 2000.

The seminar will be kicked-off on Friday, December 6 at 9 a.m. by Steve Thompson, a specialist in transportation for the Library of Congress and current executive vice president of the Transportation Research Forum and chairman of the Committee on International Trade and Transportation of the Transportation Board. Mr. Thompson' s keynote address will focus on how the workboat business will change over the next few years.

"I promise you will leave this session better able to understand what national and international economic factors could affect your business t h r o u g h the 1990s," said Mr.

Thompson. "Environmental issues, free trade zones, public policy in the U.S. and abroad, new technology in transportation—all these and more could significantly affect the workboat industry. For your company to remain successful and survive in these tough economic times, you must understand what all these factors mean to you," he added.

Following Mr. Thompson' s keynote address will be "Challenges and Opportunities of Changing International Trade on Inland and Coastal Workboat Trade." Several panelists will discuss how international trade climates affect cargo availability, river conditions, inland transportation of import and export commodities on America's waterways.

The seminar will be presented from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The afternoon's session, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., is entitled, "Changing Tides for Passengers Vessels." The seminar will focus on the hot topics of dinner and gambling boat investment.

It will address the questions, "Could riverboat gambling be a boom or a bust?"; "Will increased environmental concerns lead people to spend money in the smaller nature-tourtype business?"; "Could world peace and prosperity increase the volume of foreign visitors to the U.S.?"; "Will more people take vacations to U.S.

resorts, increasing the need for resort ferries?"; and "Could world restrictions, recession and rising fuel prices worldwide encourage Americans to take day or weekend trips more conducive to the gambling and dinner boat segment?" On Saturday, December 7, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, "Demands on Boat Building through the Year 2000" will be presented. The seminar will focus on what kind of vessels will be in demand, what kind of modifications to construction will need to be developed, public water transportation, and possible emerging markets for U.S.-built boats in South and Central America, as well as Mexico.

The same day, from 1:30 p.m to 3 p.m., the seminar "Imminent Challenges Facing Offshore Oil, Gas and Mineral Exploration" will be presented.

This session will examine the effects of environmental restrictions on U.S. drilling and operation of offshore supply/service boats, offshore mining, and markets for offshore service boat leasing and buying.

For further information, contact National Fisherman Expositions, P.O. Box 7437, Portland, Maine 04112-7437; telephone: (207) 772- 3005; or telefax: (207) 772-5059.

Other stories from November 1991 issue

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