Maritime Industry Economic Forecast Breakfast, Keynote by Tom Douglas and Record Number of Exhibitors highlight Pacific Marine Expo, Nov. 19-21, at CenturyLink Event Center

    SEATTLE, WA, November 06, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With a record number of exhibitors, a keynote address by noted Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas and the annual Maritime Industry Economic Forecast Breakfast, this year's Pacific Marine Expo, the West Coast's largest commercial marine trade show, promises to be the best ever.

The 47th Annual Pacific Marine Expo will be held at CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle from Wednesday, November 19, through Friday, November 21. To register and for further information, visit www.PacificMarineExpo.com.

"This year's Expo will attract more than 470 exhibitors and over 8,500 visitors from 40 states and 17 countries," said Show Director Bob Callahan, Diversified Communications. Trade Show Executive named Pacific Marine Expo as one of the 50 fastest-growing shows in 2013.

"Get Geared Up" is the theme of the 2014 PME. "You'll find everything you need all in one convenient location- the latest in equipment, new products, fresh solutions and even some fun," Callahan said. He noted that 80% of last year's attendees said they attend PME to find new products that are right for their business and 70% of the visitors purchased for their business as a result of PME.

This year's Expo features keynote addresses, the King County Maritime Economic Forecast Breakfast, free conference programming, Fisherman of the Year Contest and other special events.

Keynote Addresses
John Aldridge, Offshore Lobsterman, will be the keynote speaker at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 19. Many know John from his tragic story of falling overboard in the dead of the night, forcing him to tread water for over 12 hours in the Atlantic. During John's presentation, he will go over three key items of survival: Survival Instinct, Will To Live, and Thinking Outside the Box.

Chef Tom Douglas will present his keynote at Noon on Thursday, November 20. Douglas along with partners own 15 Seattle-area restaurants. Douglas will discuss creating a corporate vision and culture and delivering it consistently, retaining employees, customer service, and keeping up with the competition. Following his keynote, Douglas will join Chef Thierry Rautureau for a special recording of the Seattle Kitchen radio show at 1 p.m. in the East Hall.

Maritime Industry Economic Forecast Breakfast,
8 - 10 a.m., Thursday, November 20
Last year's Maritime Industry Economic Forecast Breakfast attracted nearly 300 top labor, business, local and federal government and community leaders. The purpose of the breakfast is to bring leaders together to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the area's workboat and fishing industries and to showcase the region's important maritime industry. This year's speakers include:

Rep. Gael Tarleton, Washington State House, 36th Legislative District
2015 Washington State Legislative initiatives and priorities

Port of Seattle Commissioner Courtney Gregoire & Port of Tacoma Commissioner Clare Petrich
Seaport Alliance

Ted Fick, CEO, Port of Seattle
2015 Opportunities for the Port of Seattle

Economic Studies - Chris Mefford, President & CEO, Community Attributes
1. The combined economic impacts of cargo at the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma
2. The economic impact of fishing, cruise and recreational boating at the Port of Seattle

Rear Admiral Richard Gromlich, Commander of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District
2015 challenges and opportunities facing the Coast Guard and the maritime industry

Ann Avary, Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology, Skagit Valley College
Washington Maritime Workforce Development Task Force update

Steve Sewell, Washington State Maritime Sector Lead
Challenges and opportunities facing the State's maritime industry

To attend the breakfast, which will be held in the West Club Lounge, and purchase a $50 ticket, contact Polly Lynch, Marine Exchange of Puget Sound, (206) 443-3830, or [email protected].

Annual Conference Program
Pacific Marine Expo's free conference programming will offer a variety of sessions featuring industry leaders on topics such as Marine Safety and Security, Business Management, Legal and Regulatory Issues, and Technical Issues/Advancements.

Special Events
2014 Pacific Marine Expo special events include the Fisherman of the Year Contest, a free Happy Hour in the Beer Garden sponsored by ZF Marine, a presentation of the DamNation film and a performance by the Fisher Poets.

Registration
Registration is free before November 19 for qualified attendees. After November 19, the cost is $30 for qualified attendees and $50 for non-exhibiting suppliers.

PME is the largest and longest running commercial marine tradeshow on the West Coast. The Expo serves all aspects of the market, including commercial vessels owners, commercial fishermen, boat builders, workboat operators and seafood processors.

For further information, visit www.PacificMarineExpo.com.

About Diversified Communications
Pacific Marine Expo is produced by Diversified Communications, which is based in Portland, Maine, and provides information and market access through face-to-face events, publications and eMedia. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine, and business management. Diversified operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Canada. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com.

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