As a part of the preparatory work, the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference 2025 was introduced to the public during the 30th edition of the Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS) on Friday, 29th February 2024.
Held on the stand of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) & Confindustria Nautica, the presentation familiarised the participants and attendees of the Dubai International Boat Show with the biannual event that brings together marina industry experts and professionals from all around the world.
The upcoming edition of the renowned conference overseen by ICOMIA Marinas Group will take place on 15-17th October 2025 in Venice, Italy. The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) is a longtime partner of the Foundation for Environmental Education and sits in the Blue Flag International Jury, representing the marine industry. Blue Flag International is proud to support this event and will surely be present during the duration of World Marinas Conference.
The programme of the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference 2025 will revolve around ocean science and conservation, and its attendees will have a chance to delve into the topics of diversity and accessibility. To mark the environmental commitment and sustainable approach adopted by the conference organisers, a professional audit will be conducted, leading to an official RINA certification.
The iconic setting for the 2025 WMC – Venice – has a rich maritime heritage, strong cultural identity, and a history of promoting sustainable tourism practices. At times referred to as a ‘Queen of the Sea”, the location fits perfectly with the conference theme of “setting a course for sustainability”. Venice, as one of the world’s most well-known destinations and a city built on water, is also home to one of the busiest ports in Italy and one of the largest marinas in the Mediterranean Sea.
Venice was officially awarded the hosting role at the previous World Marinas Conference 2023, after Alberto Sonino presented a vision for an unforgettable WMC 2025 edition taking place in the 'oldest city of the future'.
Sonino is a member of Confindustria Nautica and the Director of Vento di Venezia, the company that manages Venezia Certosa Marina, the major marina in the Venice lagoon. The venue, being a former shipyard and naval base, now has turned into a successful marina that offers over 400 berths, a boatyard, a sailing school, and artisanal boatbuilding. The ICOMIA WMC 2025 will be held there, in the traditional meeting point between East and West.
Having attended five World Marina Conferences over recent decades, Sonino is looking forward to building on his experience and planning an event that can be a unique mind-broadening experience and a tribute to the maritime heritage of his native city:
“I’m looking to create a transformative experience that attends to the diverse needs of the industry, strengthens our community, and also offers an exclusive opportunity to see an unconventional side of Venice. Our preconference programme will include guided trips around the lesser-known islands, museums and monuments of the lagoon, and a visit to the MOSE flood barrier amongst other surprises.
With environmental concerns carrying such importance, it is essential that a business trip is eminently productive and justifiable, providing maximum value not just for participants, sponsors, and exhibitors, but also for the destination.”
Since then, the organising committee including Sonino and Roberto Perocchio, a well-known industry figure, the President of Assomarinas - the Italian Association of Marinas, and Councilor of Confindustria Nautica, has been actively promoting the WMC 2025 edition at various trade shows and other industry events, such as Metstrade in Amsterdam, Boot Duesseldorf International Boat Show, the annual conference of US marinas by Assoociation of Marina Industries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the Miami Boat Show.
Roberto Perocchio said:
“The ICOMIA World Marina Conference in Venice will, as usual, be the largest intercontinental meeting of port operators, marina associations, suppliers and consultants, where best practices, new investments, future trends and industry policies will be discussed in depth and new strategies for the future will be developed. International delegates will enjoy a wide variety of speeches and panels with top industry experts, as well as a trip to the region's best marinas and elegant social events where it is easy to generate new joint ventures and business opportunities. Once again, the conference will be a perfect stage of global visibility for the many sponsors who will benefit from almost two years of promotional activity, and the companies that choose to be exhibitors will have close contact during the event with the most important players and opinion makers in the marine industry”.
The enthusiasm for the Venetian edition of the Conference has been already noticed. Thanks to an early start and proactive management team, led by Sonino and Perocchio, and supported by ICOMIA president Darren Vaux and CEO Joe Lynch, the WMC 2025 has already attracted significant regional and global interest, as well as substantial funding from several sponsors.
This includes strong regional support including the patronage of the Ministry of Infrastructures and Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport, the Ministry of Tourism, the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Venice, the Port System Authority of the Northern Adriatic Sea, and the cooperation of Venice Marco Polo International Airport managed by the SAVE group, Confindustria Nautica, Assomarinas, Confindustria Veneto Est, the Venice Boat Show managed by Vela Spa, and the ICE-Agenzia for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian corporations (ITA, Italian Trade Agency).
Darren Vaux, President of ICOMIA, said:
“The ICOMIA World Marinas Conference is the most prestigious global marina conference. It is the one opportunity when marina leaders from across the world meet to share the latest trends and technologies, to shape policies and to inspire and inform the next generation of our industry’s leaders. We are delighted to be able to welcome the marina industry to Venice, a location steeped in maritime history and look forward to another world leading event.“
Joe Lynch, secretary general of ICOMIA, represented the event at Dubai International Boat Show. He said:
“We are so excited about bringing the IWMC to Venice in 2025. To be able to host the world’s most informed and inspiring marina industry leaders in such an inspiring location is a chance not to be missed. We are delighted that our sponsorship partners are so keen to become involved, whilst our members are already booking their places as attendees. Please get in touch if you would like to sponsor, exhibit or attend this landmark event whilst places are still available”.
Federico Caner, Veneto Region's Councillor for EU Funds - Tourism - Agriculture - Foreign Trade, presented the event at the BIT - International Tourism Exchange held in Milan, Italy, and highlighted the importance of the event, since it involves a plurality of public and private players of international calibre in the pleasure boating sector. The Veneto region boasts facilities of excellence that generate a significant induced activity in the area and are undertaking a path of development in the areas of innovation and environmental sustainability. For these reasons, the event, which falls within the context of sustainable tourism and conference tourism, is included in the calendar of Great Regional Events in preparation for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, with a view to synergic development with other tourism segments.
Simone Venturini, Councillor for Tourism, Employment and Economic Development of the Municipality of Venice, emphasised the importance of the event, which confirms Venice's vocation and competitiveness also in the field of conference tourism, and praised the collaboration between public institutions and private operators in attracting major international events on strategic issues in the area. Pleasure boating, which combines the themes of tourist hospitality with the management of strategic coastal infrastructures, such as marinas, is a production sector of national excellence that generates an extraordinary induced socio-economic return. Venice's historical vocation for shipbuilding, services and equipment for pleasure boating has been the subject of an important relaunch implemented by the City Council through the Venice Boat Show. The World Conference of Tourist Ports is part of the promotion of quality tourism with a high impact on the entire lagoon territory in the path of qualification, de-seasonalisation and de-localisation of tourist flows.
Do not miss this opportunity to be part of the unique conference with inspiring world-class events, as the industry sets a course toward a sustainable and prosperous future for marinas around the globe! Check www.worldmarinaconferencevenice.com for further information or contact iwmc25@ventodivenezia.it.
About ICOMIA
The International Federation of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) brings together the national associations of the marine industry into a single global organisation and represents them at international level by expressing a strong and united voice in the context of the various economic and organisational challenges facing the sector. ICOMIA has been an active promoter of the international marine industry since 1966, working with authorities, regulatory bodies, and related organisations to facilitate and encourage the growth of the recreational marine industry worldwide, while maintaining policies and guidelines to ensure the success, protection and growth of the industry.
About ASSOMARINAS The Friendly Italian Marina Network
The Italian Tourist Ports Association - ASSOMARINAS - has been operating since 1972 to create a "network" between the accommodation facilities for recreational boating along the Italian coasts.
Assomarinas strengthens the exchange of information and services between tourist port operators by assisting members in carrying out their activities for a constant improvement of the services offered.
It represents the operators at a Regional and National level with the support of Confindustria Nautica, the Association of Shipyards, Nautical Industries and Related Industries to which Assomarinas belongs.
The Association promotes nautical tourism by participating in the most qualified sector conferences and boat shows, working incessantly for the growth of the nautical tourism sector and for the formation of a more favorable sector policy through Federturismo Confindustria, the system Confindustria for tourism.
To support the importance of accommodation facilities for nautical recreation on an international level and to encourage the training and updating of operators, Assomarinas also actively participates in the organisation of the ICOMIA WORLD MARINAS CONFERENCE.
CONTACTS: Cavallino Treporti (VENICE region, Italy) Ph. +39 041 5371397 info@marinas.it press@marinas.it
About Vento di Venezia and Venice Certosa Marina
Vento di Venezia was founded in 2003 with the objective of designing, building and managing facilities and services for pleasure boating in the Venice Lagoon, as well as promoting the physical and socio-economic regeneration of the Venetian territory through the pleasure boating industry
In 2004, a multifunctional service centre was built by Vento di Venezia on the previously abandoned Certosa Island, to allow its redevelopment and integration with the city of Venice, through the establishment of economic activities and services for both residents and tourists. Vento di Venezia has also built and manages Venezia Certosa Marina, which includes high-end harbour facilities, a shipyard dedicated to the construction of traditional Venetian boats, a hotel accommodation facility, spaces equipped for sports and cultural events and a nautical training centre. www.veneziacertosamarina.it
About CONFINDUSTRIA NAUTICA - The Italian Marine Industry Association
The Italian Marine Industry Association, Confindustria Nautica, is the national non-profit institution that since 1967 has represented the interests of the entire yachting supply chain on a national and international level, dedicated to encouraging and enabling the growth of the sector's businesses, promoting marine culture and developing nautical tourism across Italy.
Initiatives provided by the Italian Marine Industry Association include the collection, processing and dissemination of industry data gathered from throughout the yachting supply chain and nautical tourism segment, in relation to both domestic and international markets. It also promotes the technical and economic development of the sector through the development of research projects, publications, indepth studies, debates and conferences.
Every year, the Italian Marine Industry Association - CONFINDUSTRIA NAUTICA - organises a brimming programme of international events to promote the yachting industry in Italy and abroad, including the Genoa International Boat Show, Design Innovation Award, Italy's National Sea Day, the Sailor of the Year Award, the Satec Convention and Boating Pioneer Award, all adding to a year-round calendar of international events devoted to the industry's latest developments and most pressing issues.