FROM THE PUBLISHER
IT’S DIVE SHOW SEASON: WHAT DO THEY MEAN TO OUR INDUSTRY?
Boot in Germany is done , as are the Sweden and Finland shows. Boston and New Jersey are on the near horizon, along with ADEX in Singapore, the Long Beach Dive Show, and many more. What value do these shows offer to our industry? That’s like asking if we need water to dive – it’s essential to our sustainability and growth as a global industry.
Scuba Diving Industry ™ Magazine: (Print: ISSN 2996- 1416, Digital: ISSN 2996-1424) Published monthly by Cline Group LLC, 1740 Airpark Lane, Plano, TX 75093. Printed copies are mailed within the USA to select dive retailers & advertisers. Subscriptions are free to dive professionals & distributed digitally to 165 countries. POSTMASTER send address changes to Scuba Diving Industry Magazine, 1740 Airpark Ln., Plano, TX 75093. Any part of this publication may be reproduced, as long as the source is quoted “Scuba Diving Industry Magazine.” For editorial requests, email william@williamcline.com or 972-267-6700. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Cline Group LLC or any of its affiliates. © 2025, all rights reserved by Cline Group LLC. Terry Cummins, Ph.D., Australia/Oceania Cathryn Castle Garcia, Azores, Portugal Patrick Hammer, Chicago, IL Al Hornsby, Singapore Peter Letts, Sydney, Australia Carlos Lander, Caracas, Venezuela Amos Nachoum, Pacific Grove, CA Dan Orr, Driggs, ID David Prichard & Lily Mak, Dallas, TX Peter Symes, Denmark Gil Zeimer, San Rafael, CA William Cline, Publisher Patty Cline, Associate Publisher Amber Wagenknecht, Executive Editor Betty Orr, Copy Editor Neal Watson, Sr., Editor-at-Large Britain Cline, Advertising Sales Manager Gavin Young, SE Asia Advertising Sales Walker Cline, Digital, Social & SEO Contributors: Tara Artner, Aqaba, Jordan Alex Brylske, Ph.D., Avon Park, FL Jeff Cinciripino, Rocky Hill, CT SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY™ MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2025 VOL. 2, NO. 2
These show organizers provide an invaluable service to you and your customers. They facilitate human connections in diving that simply can’t happen on the back of a dive boat. That per- sonal connection is one of the most crucial aspects of our indus- try, and without it, we would not survive. If you’ve been following our magazine over the past 14 months, you’ll notice a recurring theme: we support dive shows – both consumer and trade. For dive retailers, this means actively pro-
Come See us at Beneath The Sea, The Scuba Show in Long Beach, and the DEMA Show in Orlando this year!
moting your regional dive show instead of worrying about customers "jumping ship" to another retailer exhibiting at the event. That short-sighted concern won’t prevent a single cus- tomer from leaving your store. Instead, secure a booth and show up for your customers. If staffing is an issue, ask a loyal customer to help for the weekend – they’ll love the experience and likely become a lifelong ambassador for your business. If exhibiting isn’t financially feasible, encourage your customers to attend the show to ex- plore the latest in travel and equipment. Better yet, organize a group trip and attend together. You or a team member can act as a guide , strengthening customer relationships while offer- ing a unique dive show experience. As an industry, we have spent too much time competing against one another instead of working together . In contrast, industries like skiing collaborate for the betterment of their sector. Dive shows provide an opportunity to do the same – fostering connections, sharing knowledge, and strengthening our industry as a whole. Exhibitors invest thousands to participate in these shows, so show them your support by engaging with them and dropping your business card in their bowl. And if you’re a travel company, resort, manufacturer, liveaboard, or training agency, here’s my message to you: Exhibit . Budget the necessary funds and staff to participate, especially in regions with a high concentration of B2B customers. In the U.S., that means the East and West coasts. Remember, the primary audience at a consumer dive show is, of course, the consumer. However, many exhibitors fail to realize that a significant percentage of attendees are instruc- tors, divemasters, and retail staff – key influencers within the diving community. Our esti- mates suggest that their collective influence reaches approximately 2.4 million consumer divers in the U.S., driving an astounding $483.1 million in equipment, travel, and training sales. See you at the shows!
PAGE FIVE | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
email William
William Cline, Publisher
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker