International Marina Conference

IMC 2008 - May 25th - May 28th

Scheduled for May 25-28, 2008, on the Flemish seacoast where marinas teem with cross channel cruising yachts, the conference will be held in the Media Center in Oostende, Belgium. With all its coastal attractions, the invigorating sea air, clean beaches, the freshness of the mussels, monkfish and other piscine species fished from the North Sea, and a waterfront promenade lined with an array of tantalizing seafood restaurants, Oostende is an ideal setting for a marina/nautical tourism education conference.

Bring your camera! IMC 2008 offers an exceptional opportunity for a family vacation. An accompanying partner/persons sightseeing and social program is planned, taking advantage of Oostende's close proximity to charming, historic Bruges, the number one destination for tourists in Belgium. The conference features an all-day field trip to marinas dotting the Flemish coast in northern France as well as Belgium Optional post conference tours are available to English Channel ports.

Previous ICOMIA international marina conferences, in 1993 in Amsterdam, 1996 in Genoa, 1999 in Fort Lauderdale, 2002 in Sydney, and 2005 in San Diego focused fully on marina operation and management. IMC 2008 provides an added dimension, networking with allied interest groups among international yachtsmen, municipal marinas, and nautical tourism promoters to point up the importance of marinas as boat tourist destinations.
That's why a main conference theme is Alliances for Progress.

IMC 2208, like its predecessors, will field two days of intensive panel discussion by international experts in marina design, operation and management. A battery of speakers from Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, the UK and USA is lined up to engage you in lively, interactive discussion of what you want and need to know about how to run a successful marina in today's environment.


For more information contact :

Steven Desloovere CMM
VVW-Nieuwpoort vzw
Watersportlaan 11
8620 Nieuwpoort
Belgium

Sunday May 25th
17.00-21.00

Registration

19.30

Welcome party
Monday May 26th
09.30-12.30

Conference

12.30-13.30

Lunch

13.30-18.00

Conference

18.30

Social reception and networking
Tuesday May 27th
09.30-12.30

Conference

12.30-13.30

Lunch

13.30-18.00

Conference

18.30

Social reception and networking
Wednesday May 28th

Fieldtrip to Marina's, Cote d'Opale and Nieuwpoort



Delegate Fee: €400,00/person
This includes: opening ceremony, participation to the conference, all lectures,lunches receptions and fieldtrip.

Delegate Fee without fieldtrip: €350,00/person

Spouse & others Fee: € 200,00/person
This includes: Welcome party and social receptions/networking

Speaker Fee: € 200,00/person

Please click here to register to the conference

ACCOMODATIONS

For info and online reservation please visit Toerisme Oostende
(Your password is: marinaconference)

EXTEND YOUR STAY

Short stay: (1 or 2 days)

The Belgian capital Brussel is 120km away and worth a visit! By train from Oostend you get there in only 73 minutes
Visit the cultural and historical Brugge (40km, 12 minutes by train) and the French city of Lille. (2 hours by train)

Longer stay: (a couple of days)

London (3 hours away) www.eurostar.com
Paris (3 hours away) www.thalys.com
Amsterdam (3 hours away) www.thalys.com

All train timetables you can find on www.nmbs.be, or Tel: +32 (0)2 528 28 28
All bus timetables you can find on www.delijn.be (only in Dutch) or Tel: + 32 (0)70 220 200
The Coasttram, goes from Knokke to De Panne, passes Oostende, info on www.dekusttram.be (only Dutch) or Tel: + 32 (0)70 220 200

For more information on how you can extend your stay please visit the Duinkerke website.(available soon)

THINGS TO DO IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

0.5 miles - Golfing - "Wellington Golf Oostende"

5.0 miles - Golfing - "Westgolf"

There is a lot of things to do in and around Oostende. Please visit the website of "Toerisme Oostende" for more information.