GreenTech 2018: a huge success!

Green Marine is delighted to report GreenTech 2018’s unprecedented success in Vancouver, British Columbia! Green Marine’s annual conference welcomed more than 250 attendees – the most ever at our yearly gatherings. Attendees had the opportunity between May 30 and June 1 to listen to and learn from more than 40 speakers with expertise and experience regarding various environmental challenges being addressed by Green Marine participants, as well as emerging issues. The guided tour of the BC Ferries’ fleet maintenance unit just before the conference and the cruise provided by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority at GreenTech 2018’s conclusion perfectly bookended this year’s events.

“We’re proud to be active participants of Green Marine,” Robin Silvester, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s president and chief executive officer, said during the conference’s opening session. “We really value the role that the organization plays to raise the bar in environmental practices in the maritime industry, and it’s great to hear about the progress made to date and it’s to the credit of all of the organizations in this room.”

The attendance of Megan Leslie, WWF-Canada’s president, during the same conference session underscores the collaborative approach on which the Green Marine environmental certification program’s development and credibility are founded.

For the first time, Green Marine invited academic researchers and environmental stewards to share their knowledge through poster presentations and we’re pleased to relate that 11 science-based posters were on display for attendees to peruse. The poster format permitted environmental group representatives and graduate school researchers to present their marine-related findings without having to be present throughout the conference.

This year’s 20 exhibitors and various sponsors helped to once again make the conference a financial success. Their involvement helps to fund Green Marine’s work throughout the year. We trust that the exhibitors held some good conversations about their innovations in maritime technology with the conference attendees. This year’s setup at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle had all of the booths in the midst of the action between conference sessions.

Read all about it in a special edition of The Green Wave newsletter.