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www.BoatingIndustry.com INDUSTRY NEWS 8 | Boating Industry | March 2017 BY JONATHAN SWEET At the annual IBEX Industry Breakfast in October, show organizers announced that the owners and producers of METS would be the new co-owner of the annual IBEX show. RAI Amsterdam has purchased a 50 percent stake in IBEX from Wooden- Boat Publications Inc., publisher of Professional BoatBuilder magazine and will now be an equal partner with the National Marine Manufacturers Association. In December, the groups finalized the deal, which show organizers say will help grow both events and bring a larger international presence to IBEX. "There's a lot of synergy around representing the entire marine industry as a global industry," said IBEX Show Director Anne Dunbar. "As a brand we're stronger together. We're the two main events that the trade goes to to see in- novation and move the industry forward on the manufacturing level." IBEX 2017 will be Sept. 19-21 at the Tampa Convention Center. Both shows will continue to be promoted individually, with no change in branding or name for either event. IBEX will maintain its focus on North America, while METS will keep its emphasis on the global market. In other words, it will be business as usual for attendees and exhibitors, Dunbar said. "We're going to continue to go our own way and serve the needs of our own constituents," she said. Both groups will be able to learn from each other, helping to improve both shows. After visiting METS this year, the IBEX team saw several aspects of the show they would like to bring back to IBEX. RAI Amsterdam is a "world- renowned show management company" and everything they do at METS is done at a high level, Dunbar said. "They're an impressive group of people," Dunbar said. "They're smart, they're sharp, they really know how to run a show. As a partner, you couldn't ask for anyone better." By the same token, the METS team will benefit from the IBEX team's experience in education. IBEX draws boatbuilders from all over the world to attend its conference and seminar series. In other cases, such as with their outreach to younger people in the industry, the shows will be able to com- bine efforts, with the IBEX Marine Millennials group merging with the METS Young Professionals group. The new partnership will also mean a larger international presence at IBEX. Prior to the recession, IBEX had several international pavilions, but lost those exhibitors as the market suffered (and the show moved to Louisville). How- ever, with long-term plans to keep IBEX in Florida, and the RAI Amsterdam imprimatur, those exhibitors will be returning. IBEX/METS partnership means growth, larger international presence IBEX is expecting continued growth with new ownership.