Great Success For WMTC 2006 Call For Papers
With nearly 500 abstracts submitted from 43 countries to choose from, World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC 2006) chairmen and committees are being spoilt for choice in putting together the ten streams of the conference for the milestone event taking place 6-10 March at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in the heart of London.
"It's been a tremendous response," says Professor Chris Hodge, WMTC Technical Chair "Our ten specialist committees are now hard at work poring over the submissions and coming up with highly topical, scientifically stimulating and well balanced programmes. The full conference programme encompassing our ten streams – marine engineering systems, commercial shipping, naval engineering, offshore oil and gas, underwater vehicles, marine renewable energy, EEZ management, coast and ocean mapping, operational oceanography, reefs of the world - and our very special ‘innovation sessions', will be published during September."
The committee chairmen have a starring role as the "faces and voices of WMTC 2006" in a newsletter published by IMarEST, the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology, who are organising WMTC 2006 in partnership with 24 of the world's leading maritime associations – they are also featured on the WMTC 2006 website at www.wmtc2006.com
Sponsors and exhibitors coming aboard
Rolls-Royce and Lloyd's Register are the first two sponsors of WMTC 2006, with more currently in discussion with IMarEST.
"The response to the WMTC 2006 exhibition that takes place in parallel with the conference is proving most encouraging," says Graham Hockley, WMTC Project Director. "Exhibitors who have so far reserved space cover the entire gamut from large organisation to academia; and SMEs to NGOs. The exhibition is very much an integral part of the conference and plays a vital role in supporting the ‘maritime innovation' theme. Time will be dedicated solely to the exhibition each day during lunch and refreshment breaks when delegates and visitors will have a chance to visit over a hundred stands and learn more about cutting edge technologies, products and services." The initial early bird booking rate ends 1 July – further information and floorplans are at www.wmtc2006.com
Networking opportunities in plenty
WMTC 2006 is designed to encourage specialists from all maritime and marine areas to take advantage of the multi-stream forum, which will prove an ideal way of allowing cross fertilisation of information and ideas; and enable delegates to network across a broader range of maritime professionals than they would meet at a "single topic" event. Indeed, they will be able to make up their own conference programme, matching diverse interests and sharing information, ideas and views that can help maintain the IMarEST and industry goal of continuous improvement.
The networking opportunities continue outside the working day, with a reception at the City of London's Guildhall; and the combined WMTC Conference and 103rd IMarEST Annual Dinner.
Full and regularly updated information on all aspects of WMTC 2006 is at www.wmtc2006.com and available from the Events Department at IMarEST, 80 Coleman Street, London EC2R 5BJ. Tel: +44 (0)20 7382 2655; Fax: +44 (0)20 7382 2667; Email: events@wmtc2006.com