cardzard
Contributor
DEMA 2006
A rookies report.
What is DEMA ? What should I expect ? How should I report ?
These were a few of the questions bouncing around in my head before attending the show.
What's is DEMA ?
DEMA is the dive industry's way to network and introduce new products.
What should I expect ?
Expect to walk all day and only see a fraction of the show in detail. It would take 3 days or more to visit every booth to see and hear everything in detail. From beginner to tech diver there is something here for everyone. Here's a link to their interactive floorplan for this years show.
http://www.ntpshow.com/ExpocadVR2/Floorplans/shows/06dema/start.html
How should I report ?
Many board members are covering the gear side of the show. I have decided to concentrate on the travel side of DEMA.
By my unofficial account, about 60% of the booths were travel related.
The ENTIRE world was there from Antarctica to the South Pacific and just about anywhere else you may or may not have heard or read about. As a first time visitor you can be like a deer in headlight not knowing where to start. I decided that row 100 would be the beginning of my trip around the world.
Row 100 - St.Croix
Row 200 - St. Lucia , Hawaii & The US Virgin Islands
Row 300 - Cozumel
Row 400 - Puerto Rico
Row 500 - Vancouver , St.Kitts & Costa Rica
Row 600 - Cayman Islands, Bonaire , Belize , Galapagos & Saba
Row 700 - Indonesia
Row 800 - Malaysia , Borneo , Egypt , Caledonia , Grenada & Thailand
Row 900 - The Bay Islands - Roatan , Utilla
South Pacific - Australia , Vanuatu , Papua New Guinea , Tahiti , Philippines
Row 1000 - Micronesia - Palau , Yap , Truk , Marshall Islands , Guam , Tonga ,Cook Islands , FiJi
Also The Sea of Cortez
Row 1100 - The Bahamas & Turks Caicos
Row 1200 - The British Virgin Islands
Row 1300 - St. Vincent & Grenadines
Row 1400 - Barbados & Antarctica
Row 1500 - The Florida keys , Curacao & Dominica
Row 2400 - St. Maarten , Panama City & Disney
Liveaboard's were scattered through out the floor but ALL of them were well represented.
Each row was a feast for the eyes with colorful displays and friendly people. While some destinations had more booths than others, there were special offers from all of them. DEMA is the place for face to face networking between the dive and travel industry. This is where those group trips from you local dive shops are born. It is a very unique opportunity to meet the people behind the resorts and liveaboards. The world's dive destinations all under one roof and offering every type of specials & deals was a diver's dream. I would have liked to spend more time at each booth, talking to everyone in detail about their country and diving. As the rows passed by and my bag with offers got bigger and heavier, I realized doing it all simply was not possible. You can travel the earth without leaving the building. While the cultures and scenery may change from row to row, it's very clear that diving is a world wide culture and passion shared all over the planet.
The resorts and liveaboards varied from sheer luxury to camping at sea and everything one can imagine in between.
Whether you wanted a vacation where you dive 24/7 or 2 dives per day then work on your tan by the pool, Your choices included All Inclusive resorts to basic dive hotels, shore or boat diving in warm or cold water, exotic spots around the world and diving only a tank of gas away. They were all there, with every detail from glossy handouts to DVD's, showcasing their spot on the planet. Want to swim with Whalesharks, Mantas, Sharks, Seals in the morning and hike a volcano in the afternoon ?Perhaps zip line thru the jungle canopy, explore caves above and below water, take a submarine to 2000 feet, all that and more was offered and most just a phone call and plane ride away.
The impression this rookie will take away from DEMA is that world is a much smaller place because of technology and shows such as this. The choices and possibilities for divers is growing with each passing year, new places to dive and old favorites expanding. While the language may change from latitude to longitude, the people involved all share a true love for the sport of scuba diving. Having attended this years show has made me aware that my " Places To Dive List " is much too short.
A rookies report.
What is DEMA ? What should I expect ? How should I report ?
These were a few of the questions bouncing around in my head before attending the show.
What's is DEMA ?
DEMA is the dive industry's way to network and introduce new products.
What should I expect ?
Expect to walk all day and only see a fraction of the show in detail. It would take 3 days or more to visit every booth to see and hear everything in detail. From beginner to tech diver there is something here for everyone. Here's a link to their interactive floorplan for this years show.
http://www.ntpshow.com/ExpocadVR2/Floorplans/shows/06dema/start.html
How should I report ?
Many board members are covering the gear side of the show. I have decided to concentrate on the travel side of DEMA.
By my unofficial account, about 60% of the booths were travel related.
The ENTIRE world was there from Antarctica to the South Pacific and just about anywhere else you may or may not have heard or read about. As a first time visitor you can be like a deer in headlight not knowing where to start. I decided that row 100 would be the beginning of my trip around the world.
Row 100 - St.Croix
Row 200 - St. Lucia , Hawaii & The US Virgin Islands
Row 300 - Cozumel
Row 400 - Puerto Rico
Row 500 - Vancouver , St.Kitts & Costa Rica
Row 600 - Cayman Islands, Bonaire , Belize , Galapagos & Saba
Row 700 - Indonesia
Row 800 - Malaysia , Borneo , Egypt , Caledonia , Grenada & Thailand
Row 900 - The Bay Islands - Roatan , Utilla
South Pacific - Australia , Vanuatu , Papua New Guinea , Tahiti , Philippines
Row 1000 - Micronesia - Palau , Yap , Truk , Marshall Islands , Guam , Tonga ,Cook Islands , FiJi
Also The Sea of Cortez
Row 1100 - The Bahamas & Turks Caicos
Row 1200 - The British Virgin Islands
Row 1300 - St. Vincent & Grenadines
Row 1400 - Barbados & Antarctica
Row 1500 - The Florida keys , Curacao & Dominica
Row 2400 - St. Maarten , Panama City & Disney
Liveaboard's were scattered through out the floor but ALL of them were well represented.
Each row was a feast for the eyes with colorful displays and friendly people. While some destinations had more booths than others, there were special offers from all of them. DEMA is the place for face to face networking between the dive and travel industry. This is where those group trips from you local dive shops are born. It is a very unique opportunity to meet the people behind the resorts and liveaboards. The world's dive destinations all under one roof and offering every type of specials & deals was a diver's dream. I would have liked to spend more time at each booth, talking to everyone in detail about their country and diving. As the rows passed by and my bag with offers got bigger and heavier, I realized doing it all simply was not possible. You can travel the earth without leaving the building. While the cultures and scenery may change from row to row, it's very clear that diving is a world wide culture and passion shared all over the planet.
The resorts and liveaboards varied from sheer luxury to camping at sea and everything one can imagine in between.
Whether you wanted a vacation where you dive 24/7 or 2 dives per day then work on your tan by the pool, Your choices included All Inclusive resorts to basic dive hotels, shore or boat diving in warm or cold water, exotic spots around the world and diving only a tank of gas away. They were all there, with every detail from glossy handouts to DVD's, showcasing their spot on the planet. Want to swim with Whalesharks, Mantas, Sharks, Seals in the morning and hike a volcano in the afternoon ?Perhaps zip line thru the jungle canopy, explore caves above and below water, take a submarine to 2000 feet, all that and more was offered and most just a phone call and plane ride away.
The impression this rookie will take away from DEMA is that world is a much smaller place because of technology and shows such as this. The choices and possibilities for divers is growing with each passing year, new places to dive and old favorites expanding. While the language may change from latitude to longitude, the people involved all share a true love for the sport of scuba diving. Having attended this years show has made me aware that my " Places To Dive List " is much too short.
