The successful DiveWork, Fluid Power and Ship Repair Pavilions will be back for 2008 - DiveWork exhibitors this year include Miko Marine from Norway, Edwards Diving Services, Kongsberg Maritime from Norway, Divex, Searchwise Ltd, Atlantas Marine, Ruco and Subsea Industries from Holland.

The Ship Building & Ship Repair Pavilion, supported by the SSA, and the Fluid Power Pavilion, supported by the BFPA and media partner Hydraulics and Pneumatics, continue to attract new exhibitors. The Maritime Training and Careers Pavilion, with help from Marine South East and SEEDA, will expand to attract visitors from universities and academic centres where tomorrow’s industry leaders and specifiers are trained and taught.

The Maritime Training and Careers Pavilion, with help from Marine South East and SEEDA, will expand to attract visitors from universities and academic centres where tomorrow’s industry leaders and specifiers are trained and taught.

Offshore wind industry
A major new section of Seawork will concentrate on the government’s plans to dramatically expand Britain’s offshore wind farm industry, which will bring new opportunities to many Seawork exhibitors and visitors.

The offshore alternative energy initiative will benefit many sectors of the industry, from sub-sea surveying to construction and maintenance, boatbuilders to engine manufacturers and suppliers of all types of equipment to service and support vessels, all of which can expect to benefit from surging demand over the next decade.

Reflecting the interest in this developing market, Seawork is devoting Conference Room 1 on Thursday 12 June to the presentation of major papers outlining the future of alternative energy and how it will affect the marine and associated industries – see the full conference and seminar programme on the Seawork website at www.seawork.com

New conference location
With exhibition space for 2008 now almost exhausted, the Seawork Conference Suites have been forced to move to a new location, but still within the Canary Island Fruit Terminal.

The three conference rooms are being moved beyond a sealed, dividing wall into a quiet zone, where they will be undisturbed by the buzz of the show, yet immediately adjacent to the action.

A bar close-by will provide a welcome place to refresh and relax between sessions and delegate lunches will also take place within this new area. This encourages the high calibre conference attendees to mingle with exhibitors and visitors and explore the wealth of new products and ideas which are representative of the whole Seawork experience.

A full programme of papers has been compiled and substantial attendances are expected for the keynote addresses. This includes a full day conference covering port and coastal surveying which is supported by the UK Hydrographic Society, the UKHMA and the Society for Underwater Technologies and a half day conference hosted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which includes a post-conference clinic where attendees can seek the advice of MCA personnel about legislative issues which affect them.

Inward Buyers Mission
This UK Trade & Investment initiative – launched in 2007 – will bring in more than 20 key buyers from all over the world, specifically to do business with Seawork exhibitors.

The objective is to enable British companies to develop commercial relationships at the top level with major overseas companies. In 2007 more than 100 face-to-face meetings took place, with four suppliers being invited to visit the home country of the buyers in order to further business relationships.

Visitors can also participate in 20 minute, one-on-one meetings which, although brief, are sufficient to start relationships rolling.

Portugal, Spain, New Zealand, Canada, Italy, China, India and Korea were represented last year, with the number of participating buyers expected to double in 2008.

Several organisations contribute to the success of the Inward Buyers’ Mission, including UKTI South East, SEEDA, local authorities and trade associations.

New opening hours
To accommodate increasing visitor numbers and provide more business and networking time – particularly for exhibitors – Seawork will open at 09.30 every day and close at 18.30 on Wednesday 11 June.

Any time after 18.00 Wednesday the free Quayside Barbeque begins. The barbeque is sponsored this year by Mercator Media's own Boating Business, which is celebrating 25 successful years in print.

Come and join the rest of your industry for a free beer or glass of wine on the quayside - and don't forget to pick up your half price copy of the new look, re-launched Boating Business Directory, available from the Boating Business bit of the Mercator Media stand 235.

Gala Dinner returns to St Mary's
The Seawork Gala Dinner has become a must-do social event in the commercial marine calendar.

Sponsored once again by propulsion giants ZF, the dinner returns this year to St Mary's Stadium, home to Southampton Football Club. Saints Hospitality is promising a night to remember, designing a specially selected 3-course menu and staging a cocktail reception in the newly refurbished Itchen Suite.

There's a welcome return to the after dinner speaker feature plus, of course, presentation of the Spirit of Innovation Award for the most innovative new product launched onto the market in the preceding 12 months.