Marine businesses come together at MAA’s 2024 Press Lunch

A 120-strong gathering of marine industry professionals and journalists gathered for MAA’s annual press lunch on Friday (19 April 2024).

The event, set against the backdrop of Ocean Village Marina and the South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show, is organised by specialist marine communications agency MAA, the publisher of Marine Industry News, and offers the perfect opportunity for networking with industry experts and news journalists alike.

Entertained by author and sailing raconteur Tom Cunliffe, who was the MC of this year’s event, speakers from sponsoring companies took turns to address the audience.

B&G product director Matt Eales (Navico Group) gave a presentation focusing on the firm’s latest Zeus S, a next-generation chartplotter with new and unique Sailing Modes, along with numerous enhanced features, which the firm says offer a simpler user experience.

He also discussed the wider B&G Ecosystem, touching on instruments such as the Nemesis, the Triton Edge Sailing processor, and the WS300 and WS700 Wind Sensors series.

“Events like this are important to highlight how much technology has transformed boating, which has become an integral part of our brand,” says Eales. “These advancements in technology have become vital for users of all experiences, with multiple crossovers of brands across all boating sectors.

“On a personal level, it’s great to talk with people and hear real-time feedback on the market and our products in general as we are keen to raise awareness of who we are and what we do, with over 20 brands that come under the Navico Group umbrella, such as B&G, Mastervolt, Simrad and Whale to name a few.”

Tom Cunliffe says: “The MAA lunch has become a unique opportunity for the glorious company of yachting journalists to get together informally and shoot the breeze with one another, and with some of the important people they write about. It’s great fun too. I wouldn’t miss it.”

Sam Oliver, director at Wessex Resins & Adhesives, was on hand to talk about the firm’s heritage and the importance of using epoxy resins West System and Pro-Set for a wide range of repair, maintenance and construction applications. Oliver was also keen to stress the importance of thinking about the ‘hardware’ of the dinghy, yacht, boat or other vessel that is being purchased, as the quality of the construction hugely impacts the life span of a vessel.

The MAA Press Lunch is now well-established on the industry calendar. The event has grown considerably, attracting top journalists, editors and leading industry names from across different marine sectors.

MAA was established by Mike Shepherd in 2009. Since then, the company has experienced consistently strong growth. MAA was awarded Best Marine Company to Work For at the 2016 British Marine Awards and is now firmly established as one of the foremost agencies in the marine industry.