Marine electronics and navigation specialist, Errol Cain has supervised the installation of marine electronic systems into thousands of Riviera luxury cruisers in his 27 years experience. In this issue, Errol talks about the annual Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) held in Amsterdam.
The annual Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) held late November at the Rai show grounds in Amsterdam each year was as vibrant as I have seen in the 18 years that I have attended. There were more exhibitors, more visitors and genuinely a very positive mood about the show.
The mid-week, three day trade only show is not for the faint hearted, with over 1,330 exhibitors throughout 11 pavilions and three days is barely enough time to navigate around. Each exhibitor is grouped into their country of origin so it was nice to see the Australian exhibitors next to the Aussie themed “Outback Café”.
This show is where most of the major manufacturers showcase new products to the industry for the first time. An example of this is Garmin who launched 47 new marine related products http://sites.garmin.com/marine2014/ or Simrad who launched the 2nd generation of the NSS touch screen displays http://www.simrad-yachting.com/en-US/Products/NSS-Touchscreen-Navigation/. Another interesting launch was from Iris with the Night-runner dual thermal / lowlight camera, which is the 1st dual payload camera under 6k. http://www.boat-cameras.com/product.php?ProdID=61&CatID=11
The DAME (Design Awards METS) is another very prestige part of the show ,which covers the international design competition for new marine equipment and accessories. To win the DAME is the ultimate accolade for any marine related company. The DAME is divided into seven categories as follows with a winner in each category then an overall winner named from those seven.
1. Marine electronics and related software – Glass cockpit system by Volvo Penta.?2. Interior equipment, furnishings, materials, and electrical fittings used in cabins – SKYSOL Motion blinds by Oceanair Marine Ltd.?3. Marina equipment, boatyard equipment, and boat construction tools and materials – Vanclaes boat trailer by Vanclaes.?4. Deck equipment, sails, and rigging – NOMEN CLIP-Cleat by Nomen Products.?5. Clothing and crew accessories – Boarding ring glasses by Boarding Ring.?6. Lifesaving and safety equipment – Monolite (binoculars) by Port Supply.?7. Machinery, propulsion, mechanical and electrical systems, and fittings – Vector fin stabilizers by Sleipner Motor.
The overall winner this year was from the Machinery, propulsion, mechanical and electrical systems, and fittings category. The award was taken out by Sleipner Motor for the vector fin stabilisers. More can be read about the DAME here http://www.metstrade.com/mets/innovation-awards/pages/default.aspx
Despite the fact it’s a very long way from Australia to Amsterdam for four nights and it’s the start of the European Winter, METS is a must for anybody who operates within the marine industry.