The 2024 AMI Conference Speaker and Session Schedule is Here To Browse
January 29th, on paper, has to be one of the least glamorous Mondays of the year. Dead of winter. Half the country is frozen. The most exciting thing happening on the water is reeling in a thrashing Northern pike.
Maybe that’s exactly why January 29th is the perfect week-opening for the biggest marine industry gathering of the year: the Association of Marine Industries (AMI) Conference & Expo.
Marina managers, shipbuilders, boatyard owners, harbormasters, and vendors with the latest technologies: they’re all gathering in Fort Lauderdale, connecting over their shared interests in the business of the shoreline. This is a three-day gathering to learn, to browse, to make new friends, and to happily shake hands with old ones.
AMI released its 2024 Conference schedule this month, with a detailed list of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and courses marina managers can partake in through the only accredited institution that carries ongoing education for CMMs (Certified Marina Managers).
Here are the relevant details for the 2024 AMI Conference, with links to pre-conference activities, conference courses, and avenues of registration.
The “when, where, how” of the 2024 AMI Conference
The 2024 conference returns to Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the Broward County Convention Center, and the host hotel and marina will be the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina. The official convention begins on the 30th with a CMM/CMO (Certified Marina Managers/Certified Marina Operators) awardees breakfast, but the ambitious marina manager who wants 15 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) from the University of Wisconsin has access to the “Clean Marina Course” and “Docks & Marinas Course” that begin on Monday, the 29th.
AMI is offering discounted rates on lodging until January 3rd, and AMI members can buy full-conference passes for $424, or non-member passes are available for $524. The Conference offers multiple options, such as one-day passes, and you can check them out on the AMI Conference & Expo page.
The AMI Conference Keynote Speakers
The 2024 conference will have two keynote speakers, with a thematic focus on leadership and culture. On Wednesday, January 31st, Bill Benjamin will speak on the topic of “Build a High-Performance, Last 8% Culture.” Benjamin provides leadership strategies from the approach of successfully managing emotions under pressure to build a strong company culture.
On Thursday, February 1st, David Atkins will speak about “‘No Excuses’ – Break Through Fear & Adversity to Play a Bigger Game in Business and Life.” Atkins is a motivational speaker with a background as a New York State Police Captain who speaks about overcoming fear and adversity from a day-to-day business perspective.
Practical Sessions for Marina Managers
Besides the thematic talks about leadership and management, the conference holds breakout sessions for issues that marina managers may deal with throughout any given year. These sessions include “Overcoming Disaster: Storms, Equipment Accidents, and Fire Preparedness and Response” and the “Electric Vehicles, Boats, and Yard Equipment: Storage and Charging Brainstorming Session.” The full two-day schedule of breakout topics can be viewed on the “Day 1 Breakout Sessions” page and the “Day 2 Breakout Sessions” page.
The Exhibition Hall
The Exhibition hall at the Broward County Convention Center will hold an enormous array of booths to explore, with almost 120 companies attending. They include major marina management software platforms like Dockwa, SpeedyDock, and Molo, manufacturers like East Coast Houseboats, industry media companies like Soundings Trade Only, and a myriad of others that span the breadth of the marine industry.
The entire list of 2024 AMI Conference exhibitors & sponsors can be viewed here.
A gathering place for the entire marine industry
Throughout the year, marine industry professionals have the option to attend niche events: yacht shows, shoreline cleanups, fishing and outdoor expos.
The AMI Conference gathers every facet of the industry and puts them all in one place. For a few days, marina managers can meet the people they buy from, expand their base of knowledge, and perhaps most importantly:
Spend time sharing camaraderie with the people who do exactly what you do.
Article by Hammer and Nail Marketing
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