15 November 2024

Worcestershire County Cricket Club once again played host to a dynamic and highly successful British Marine Inland Conference on Wednesday, 13 November 2024. Sponsored by leading industry names—Haven Knox-Johnston, Barrus, Hoseasons, ProMarine Finance, Waterways Holidays, Inland and Coastal Marina Systems, and Aqueduct Marina—the event brought together a vibrant mix of industry leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders, energising the inland marine sector with a full day of insights, networking, and engaging discussions.

With over 100 attendees representing 57 companies, this year’s conference highlighted the growing momentum within the inland boating industry. The event, themed "Energising Britain’s Waterways," featured a packed agenda of keynote speeches, expert presentations, and tailored breakout sessions designed to meet the needs of businesses navigating the evolving landscape of Britain’s inland waterways.

The day commenced with British Marine Midland’s AGM and also a joint British Marine Inland Boating and Inland Boatbuilding AGM, which saw the dissolution of both associations to form the new British Marine Inland Association.  Joe Tromans, Commercial Director of Worcestershire County Cricket Club, then provided the opening address setting the stage for a day of impactful presentations and discussions, as well as giving attendees an insight into the club.

Keynote speakers included Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine, alongside Richard Parry, CEO of the Canal & Rivers Trust and Andrew Pearce, Deputy Director - Asset Management Systems and Navigation. They shared updates on industry developments, including the latest regulatory changes, decarbonisation initiatives, and opportunities for growth across the inland boating sector.

The morning’s Navigation Authorities Update featured engaging presentations from Gareth Stephens (Canal & Rivers Trust) and Julian Kennard (Environment Agency), providing valuable insights into the future of waterway management. While Nigel Stevens, from Shire Cruisers, delivered a powerful session entitled ‘Jeopardy: for canals - or for boating businesses”, which focused on the CRT’s funding shortfall and the importance to the industry of CRT being able to fill the funding gap. Nigel explored the CRT’s use of jeopardy to gain more donations, but he also pointed out the delicate balance required, noting that such techniques could risk unintended negative impacts on the industry.

“This has been a really great event. There have been plenty of informative presentations and lots of conversations during the breakout sessions, which have provided valuable opportunities to connect with our customers and network with industry peers”, commented Gareth from the Canal & Rivers Trust.

Ed Tuite, Head of Technical at British Marine and Jon White, General Manager of The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) concluded the morning sessions covering a whole host of topics including, the new and revised ISO standards being developed, updates on decarbonisation across the industry and guidance on Li batteries.

Following lunch, the afternoon breakout sessions, held at the picturesque Beard Terrace and Graeme Hick Pavilion, offered delegates a chance to dive deeper into topics including digitising the hire boat experience, major craft conversion, and other regulatory clarifications, as well as the updates on the redrafted TYHA Code of Practice and the latest on VAT implications for the inland sector. Industry experts Ross Wombwell (British Marine Consultant), Ed Tuite (British Marine), and Jon White (TYHA) and Jim Suswain (PKF Francis Clark) led the sessions, delivering actionable advice and sparking lively discussions among participants.

After which, James Ward, from Marine Resources, lead a session focused on employee engagement, before Nigel Richards from Waterways Holidays look a closer look at tourism trends and plans for 2025.

The formal conference programme concluded with closing remarks from Robert Parton, President of British Marine, who emphasised the importance of collaboration and innovation within the industry. Delegates then enjoyed a networking drinks reception, providing a relaxed setting to continue discussions and foster new business relationships.

The evening festivities featured a delightful three-course Gala Dinner, followed by the return of the highly anticipated post-conference quiz, offering a fun and informal end to a productive day.

Reflecting on the event’s success, Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine commented: “The British Marine Inland Conference remains a crucial platform for the exchange of ideas, strategic discussions, and business development. The strong turnout and enthusiastic engagement at this year’s event underscore the industry’s commitment to advancing Britain’s waterways and enhancing the visitor experience.”

What the delegates said:

The feedback from delegates was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the high-quality content and the opportunity to connect with peers.

“We love being here as part of this event. It’s well attended, so you get to see so many people and there’s so many great opportunities for everyone to get together and share knowledge.”

Paul Knox-Johnston – Haven Knox-Johnston

“The inland conference is always really useful, it’s an informative day that keeps all the marina operators and businesses alike in the industry up to date with current legislation, any changes that are on the horizon, so it’s always a valuable day for all of us to attend.”

Dan Lewis, - ABC Leisure Group

“I’ve found today really useful in terms of getting up to date with latest guidance.” 

Leighton Jones - Black Prince Holidays

“An Enlightening and informative event bringing together many colleagues from the inland industry.”

Janet Maughan - Overwater marina

“This is about the fourth time I’ve been to this event, and it gets bigger and better, and more informative every year.”

Phil James, Barrus

“It’s been good to listen to the Environment Agency and Canal & Rivers Trust to hear about the challenges they are dealing with and how they are dealing with these challenges, and the technical insights.  It’s good to be able to get an insight into where our industry is at, what is coming down the road and what everyone else is experiencing.”

Phil Langley, Aqueduct Marina

“This is a very good event.  It has been good to hear the perspectives for the Canal & Rivers Trust and Environment Agency who are often seen as a little inaccessible and difficult to engage with, so very useful to hear where they are at and to be able to build a bit of personal contact with them.”

Ian Watkins, Waterlodge UK

"It’s been a highly insightful and informative event. While there was a strong focus on the Canal & River Trust, the updates on funding and efforts to improve the condition of our waterways were particularly valuable. I appreciated the insights on increasing compliance for waterway licenses, which has faced challenges in the past. Much of the discussion centred on the importance of securing resources and funding to make these improvements possible. It was also great to hear British Marine’s perspective and understand the direction we’re headed as an industry."

Barnaby Hayward, P&D Marine Services

“Today has been really informative, as these networking events are and if you weren’t here, you should have been!”

Justin Green, JG Marine