(SEVERNA PARK, Md.) — The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) and the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) have agreed to hold their 2021 international convention together at the Anaheim Sheraton Park Hotel on Sept. 20-24, 2021. The exposition portion of the event will be held Sept. 21 and 22.
The combined 2021 NMEA/RTCM Conference & Expo will be the largest industry trade event in the world focusing strictly on marine electronics. By combining the NMEA and RTCM events, attendees will have an opportunity to participate in technical and education sessions offered by both organizations. The agenda will allow RTCM and NMEA to hold meetings tailored specifically for their members, in addition to presentations of mutual interest.
“With vaccines on the way, we fully anticipate and hope that the 2021 NMEA/RTCM Conference & Expo will be a live, in-person event,” said Mark Reedenauer, NMEA president and executive director. “Safety of our attendees will be top priority, and we will be taking full precautionary measures per CDC updated guidelines. Having RTCM at the conference brings together the commercial, government and recreational sectors of our industry and those experts who represent them. The combined event is a win-win for everyone. We hope and plan at this time to get back together in person, particularly given that marine markets, both recreational and commercial, are very strong despite the pandemic.”
Ed Wendlandt, RTCM president, commented, “Although we continued our work through virtual meetings and made excellent progress towards our goals this year, we very much look forward to meeting with our members at the annual conference in person again so long as we can do so safely.”
Beginning Monday morning, Sept. 20, conference registrants can choose to attend various installer and business tracks, RTCM sessions, and manufacturer-specific presentations. A continental breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. and coffee breaks are included each morning of the five-day event. Most of the sessions are repeated twice so that attendees can adjust their schedules to attend specific areas of interest. Lunches run each day from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.
Other highlights of the combined event include a two-day expo where many manufacturers will introduce new products for 2022. Additionally, manufacturers will offer training sessions during the week and the RTCM GMDSS Task Force will meet in open session. The NMEA Product of Excellence Awards Banquet will take place on Thursday, Sept. 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
NMEA will also offer the following full-day installer training courses. Schedule details will be posted soon at www.nmea.org. A different registration fee applies for these daylong classes:
• NMEA and ABYC Combined Training, Tuesday=Friday
• Basic NMEA Installer Training (MEI), Tuesday
• Basic NMEA 2000 Installer Training, Wednesday
• Advanced NMEA Installer Training (AMEI), Thursday
• Advanced NMEA 2000 Installer Training, Friday
Look for a detailed preliminary schedule of all Conference & Expo events as they become available on www.expo.nmea.org. More information will be added in coming months. If you have questions, contact the NMEA main office at (410) 975-9425. Registration for the annual event will open in late May 2021.
– National Marine Electronics Association
