Obtain New Potential Customers and Receive Media Exposure with the 2015 Be A Diver® Pool Tour

DEMA Member Retailers & Sponsors Are Encouraged to Join the 2015 Be A Diver® Pool Tour Early to Maximize Opportunities and Benefits of Participation

For more than 10 years now, DEMA has sponsored the Be A Diver® Pool Tour, traveling around the U.S. to large scale events allowing attendees to try diving in the warm, safe confines of its four-foot deep swimming pool under professional supervision. Once again, the 2015 Be A Diver® Pool Tour is looking at another productive year of helping retailers acquire new customer leads, sponsors gain recognition with consumers, and generating positive press coverage for the entire diving industry. DEMA Retail Members are encouraged to get involved with the Pool, providing staff and working one-on-one with Pool participants to gain new customers.  Any DEMA Member can also sponsor the pool to gain invaluable exposure.

RETAILERS ACQUIRE EXPOSURE AND HAVE ACCESS TO POTENTIAL NEW CUSTOMERSDEMA works directly with New York based PR firm Adams Unlimited PR to help drive media attention to the Be A Diver® Pool event.  When media attend, retailers can be part of the media action and obtain exposure for their business.  At each Be A Diver®Pool Tour event, the Pool itself is staffed by diving and sales professionals from these local DEMA Member retail stores. Retail staff members are part of the “try diving” experience and have the opportunity to help participants find a local dive center and convert them into loyal customers for years to come. In order to maximize their success in getting publicity and potential new leads, DEMA Member Retailers are encouraged to sign up with the Be A Diver® Pool Tour early for a participating event in their area.  DEMA offers many benefits and resources that can help retailers before, during and after a Pool Tour event.  Retailers who are interested in participating or who can suggest an event with potential for attracting new divers are encouraged to view the Be A Diver® Pool Tour Retailer Prospectus or contact DEMA’s Pool Tour Coordinator, Dave Reidenbach at bigwavedave@dema.org. 

SPONSORS GAIN BRAND RECOGNITION WITH CONSUMERSMedia exposure can be expensive, but reaching a targeted consumer audience with a message about the fun and ease of diving can be made affordable when your company sponsors DEMA’s Be A Diver® Pool. Sponsorship opportunities exist for budgets large and small, including multiple and single venue event sponsorships. Whether you’re looking for an increase in exposure within a certain city or to spread your brand awareness across the U.S., the Be A Diver® Pool Tour has a sponsorship option available. From large scale banners, to material distribution and on-screen news opportunities, the Pool Tour can find an opportunity to fit your needs. Detailed information can be found in the Be A Diver® Pool Tour Sponsor Prospectus or by contacting Dave Reidenbach, atbigwavedave@dema.org.

“The Be A Diver® Pool targets potential diving consumers who attend or frequent major events and locations,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “Since 2001, the Pool has introduced tens of thousands of people to diving with the participation of DEMA Members, allowing these interested customers to try diving in a fun and controlled environment. Reaching more than 3.5 million television viewers during 2014 alone, the Pool is a great opportunity for DEMA Member Retailers and Sponsors to generate media coverage, both locally and nationally, and have access to potential new divers.“ 

Making stops around the country all year long at various consumer-oriented travel, outdoor activity, adventure shows and other targeted locations, the Be A Diver® Pool gives anyone age 10 and up the opportunity to discover the fun and exciting sport of scuba diving in the comfort of a large, tropically warm pool. Event attendees not only have the opportunity to try scuba diving for free, but also to test out some of the latest scuba equipment provided on-site and have a photo taken of themselves underwater which can be an everlasting keepsake and encouragement to become certified. 

Participating in a 2015 Be A Diver® Pool Tour Event is a unique and effective way to build relationships with up-and-coming divers and receive free publicity for your dive center or brand. Now is the time to start planning for success! Participation with the Be A Diver®Pool is available for DEMA Members only – Become a 2015 DEMA Member today!

DEMA Show 2014 Attendees and Exhibitors are Asked to Provide Feedback on Their Show Experience

**DEMA Show 2014 Attendees and Exhibitors are Asked to Provide Feedback on Their Show Experience** 

Every year, DEMA Show provides countless opportunities for Attendees and Exhibitors to do great business together by providing hundreds of exhibits, products, services, educational sessions and more. Once again, DEMA Show 2014 was a huge success and brought over 9,300 registered Attendees and more than 640 Exhibitors together. Now, DEMA is asking for DEMA Show Attendees and Exhibitors to provide their feedback and ideas to help take DEMA Show to the next level!

Input from Attendees and Exhibitors is invaluable as it helps the Association create a better Show in the years to come. Past feedback has helped guide the Association when developing seminar content, evaluating speakers, contracting for housing and transportation and even in evaluating future venues and cities. DEMA asks all 2014 Attendees and Exhibitors to complete the Post-DEMA Show Survey via the links below:

DEMA Show 2014 Attendees are invited to provide their feedback on the Show here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DEMAattendee

DEMA Show 2014 Exhibitors are also invited to provide their feedback on the Show here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DEMAexhibitor

Deadline to submit your feedback is January 9, 2015 and participants who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $100 Starbucks gift card.

As a non-profit organization, DEMA uses the resources generated by DEMA Show to fund research, legislative scanning and advocacy, education and more. DEMA extends its THANKS to the entire Industry for helping to make DEMA Show a continuing success! DEMA Show will return to Orlando, FL in 2015 from November 4-7.

DEMA Thanks the Diving Industry for their Participation in DEMA Show 2014

**Trade-Only Show Brings Together Thousands of Industry Professionals from Every Segment of the Diving Industry to Buy, Learn and Collaborate **

DEMA is pleased to say THANK YOU to the more than 9,300 pre-qualified dive professionals who registered for DEMA Show 2014, and the 600+ exhibiting companies who made DEMA Show successful.  The trade-only show was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from November 19th to 22nd.   

DEMA Show 2014 provided many opportunities for Attendees and Exhibitors to do great business together by providing hundreds of exhibits, products, services, educational sessions and more.  Opening day commenced at 10:00 am on November 19th with more than 6,880 professionals on hand for the first day’s activities, including buyers, travel buyers, instructors and other dive professionals from all over the world. Verified attendance figures, which are obtained from electronic scans of Attendee and Exhibitor badges, confirm that over 8,300 Industry Professionals entered the Show during its four days. The Show’s credentialing process established by the Board of Directors, helped confirm that the Show maintain a trade-only atmosphere, welcoming highly qualified Buyers and Influencers.

During the four days of DEMA Show 2014 exhibitors hosted hundreds of Attendees in their booths to showcase their latest products, programs and services.  DEMA’s video production partner, 506 Studio, has captured the excitement of the action-packed days of DEMA Show 2014 in a series of videos available for viewing and sharing on the Be A Diver YouTube Channel.

One of the exciting features of this year’s Show was the return of DEMA’s Deep Ambitions Aquatic Career Fair. On Friday, November 19th over 150 local high-school students participated in an educational day featuring the underwater world and diving. Students were even given the opportunity to try diving in the Be A Diver pool directly on the Show floor. Speakers Annie Crawley, Martin Stepanek, Rogest and Wyland joined staff from REEF and Reefmakers to interact and educate the students about our underwater environment, inspire them to get involved to help our ocean planet, and provide ideas about careers in which learning to dive can play a key role.

During the Annual Member Meeting, Attendees learned about the activities of the Association during 2014 and the goals being set for 2015. Tom Ingram also discussed the recent Phase II of DEMA’s industry-wide research project. Industry Professionals are encouraged to stay informed about the latest research and other benefits from the association via DEMAIL and the DEMA website and social media pages.

DEMA extends its THANKS to the entire Industry for the continuing success of DEMA Show! Looking toward thefuture, DEMA Show will be returning to Orlando, FL from November 4-7 in 2015. DEMA continues to look at additional venues for future shows, using key factors of Exhibitor and Attendee cost and venue availability.  A complete overview of how DEMA Show venues are selected is available here.

Funds raised through DEMA Show (and all events produced by DEMA) are used to monitor and advocate for environmental issues, promote recreational diving, keep dive sites open and accessible to divers, provide DEMA-Member access to benefit programs such as health insurance and worker’s compensation insurance, and conduct research on behalf of the Industry.  With this year’s strong DEMA Show participation, DEMA can continue its mission of promoting sustainable growth in safe recreational diving and snorkeling while protecting the underwater environment. 

Insider Tips and Tricks to Help You Make the Most of Your DEMA Show 2014 Experience

Insider Tips and Tricks to Help You Make the Most of Your

DEMA Show 2014 Experience

Featuring over 650 exhibitors and hundreds of educational and networking opportunities, you’re likely to have a jam-packed schedule during DEMA Show 2014.  Below are helpful tips and tricks, both on and off the Show floor that can help you make the most of your experience:

DEMA Member & VIP Member Lounges
All 2014 DEMA Members and their staff have access to a private Member-exclusive lounge, accessible directly from the Show floor.  With meeting tables, electrical outlets and a computer and printer, the Member lounge is a place where Members and their staff can meet, charge their electronics or simply take a break. 

The DEMA Member VIP lounge is open exclusively to 2014 Level 2 and Level 3 DEMA Members and staff with the additional amenities of coffee and water. 

Internet Access

Please note the following options for Internet access during DEMA Show 2014:

• DEMA provides complimentary Internet access to DEMA Show attendees in the iCafe (located in the DEMA Booth #1558).
• Gold and platinum DEMA Members can also gain access in the VIP DEMA Member Lounge.
• The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) provides DEMA Show attendees two complimentary continual hours of public Wi-Fi (512 Kbps service) in the common areas and lobbies of the North Hall per 24-hour period. To access this service, use the network “LVCC Public Internet.”
• Internet service can be purchased throughout the LVCC for one, three or five days directly from the device that needs to be connected (1.5 Mbps service). To access this service, use the network “10x10 wifi.” Pricing is as follows:

• 1 day: $79.99
• 3 days: $139.99
• 5 days: $239.99

The Mobile App is Back
The DEMA Show 2014 mobile app provides easy-to-use interactive capabilities to enhance the DEMA Show experience including:

• An all-in-one dashboard to keep you organized with up-to-the-minute Exhibitor, Seminar and Event information
• A personal scheduler for setting up appointments, seminars and meetings
• Show maps and a Locate Me feature to help you navigate the Show Floor and Seminar locations
• Timely alerts and helpful reminders to keep you updated in real-time
• Attendee & friends features to help you make connections with the thousands of attendees at DEMA Show
• Social networking links, a video gallery and a shared photo gallery to make sharing your experience easy and fun
• A listing of local places including dining, entertainment and shopping options

Download the app now!  For iPhone, iPad, iPod or Android phones, visit the App Store or Google Play on your device and search for DEMA Show 2014.  For all other phone types, while on your smartphone, point your mobile browser to http://m.core-apps.com/demashow2014.

Scooter Service
Wheelchairs and scooters are available via Scootaround, Inc. located in the Central Hall in front of the FedEx Business Center. Reservations required.

Show SpecialsDEMA Show 2014 is committed to providing attendees with exclusive deals, discounts and promotions. Find exclusive exhibitor show specials here before you head to the Show to help you plan a valuable experience.   

Be sure to take advantage of DEMA’s very own Show Special where DEMA Members can save $50 on their 2014 dues by joining onsite and will receive an exclusive DEMA Member portable charger.

Shuttle Service
Due to the close proximity of the North Hall to the Host hotel, limited Shuttle service will be provided to OFFICIAL DEMA SHOW HOUSING BLOCK participants ONLY. The shuttle will provide service between the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and the North hall. Due to the traffic route the bus must take on crowded Las Vegas streets, it IS possible that during peak times the shuttle could take up to 20 minutes to reach the hall.

In order to gain access to the shuttle official guests in the DEMA Housing Block will receive a shuttle bus pass upon check-in.  This pass is being utilized to ensure proper bus planning and adequate official guest accommodations. If you have any questions please visit the DEMA Booth #1558 for more information. For a complete schedule visit the DEMA Show website.

DEMA Announces 2014 DEMA Show Keynote Session Featuring Grant and Shawna Korgan

**World-Record Holder, Athlete & Star of The Current Hosts Thursday’s Opening Session**

DEMA has announced that this year’s DEMA Show Keynote Session will feature Grant Korgan, world-record holding Antarctic Explorer, renowned adventure athlete, scuba diver, author, and motivational speaker.  Korgan will join his wife, wellness expert and life coach, Shawna Korgan to lead this captivating session that will leave you feeling inspired, driven and empowered.  The session will take place on Thursday, November 20th from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. in Room N254 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.

“We are honored to have Grant and Shawna Korgan as our Keynote speakers for this year’s DEMA Show,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “They will share with you the universally applicable tools they used to overcome Grant’s life-altering spinal cord injury, and the unbound, and often hidden personal power of overcoming adversity via choosing positivity. Their inspirational and life-impacting keynote presentation will have you walking away with powerful new life tools to enhance both your personal and professional experience.”

After sustaining a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down, adventurer Grant Korgan refused to balk at his new condition because he still had a mission in store. Ten years prior, when his best friend and climbing partner passed away in an avalanche, his parents entrusted Korgan with their son’s equipment, entreating him to continue climbing for him. Spurred by his commitment to his friend as well as the support of his wife, Shawna, Korgan found the strength to rise from his wheelchair and reclaim his active lifestyle, becoming the first spinal cord-injured athlete to ski 80 miles in Antarctica’s South Pole. Today, his is the emerging face of spinal cord recovery and heralds his message of choosing positivity through adversity.

Grant and Shawna can also be seen during Thursday’s 2:00 p.m. premiere of the Make a Hero Foundation’s latest film The Current in Booth #238.  The film showcases the power of diving by featuring inspiring athletes, public figures, athlete ambassadors and military veterans who have participated in our sport.  Join DEMA and the diving Industry as we come together for a morning of motivation and inspiration at DEMA Show 2014.

DEMA Announces New Member Benefit to Premiere During DEMA Show 2014

**DEMA Partners with Make A Hero Foundation to Produce Content for Member Use **

DEMA has partnered with Make A Hero Foundation (MAH) to provide content to help promote recreational diving using MAH’s film The Current.  The Current is the second adaptive sports film by Make a Hero, which showcases inspiring adaptive athletes, public figures, athlete ambassadors and military veterans who have donated their efforts in support of this film. “The Current is important to the Diving Industry because it showcases the ‘Healing Power of the Ocean’ through inspiring stories about scuba diving,” explained Producer and Director Kurt Miller, CEO of MAH.

“DEMA is excited about the latest film produced by MAH, and the universal message it carries about the strength of the human spirit,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “By showing the role scuba diving can play in the healing process, it reinforces diving as a sport in which anyone can participate.”

Make A Hero Foundation will be exhibiting at DEMA Show 2014, and premieringThe Current on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. in booth #238.  Plans also call for one or more individuals featured in the film to be available and respond to questions after the premiere.  Additional information on the movie is available on the Make A Hero website.

Importantly, DEMA has partnered with MAH to make the film available to DEMA for use with the Be A Diver Pool Tour, and for members of DEMA to have access for their own promotions of scuba diving.  More details on availability of this inspiring content will be presented during DEMA Show.

DEMA Show Venue Selection Explained

**Association Selects Venues Based Upon Required Criteria: Availability, Size, Member Cost Containment and Hotel Pricing**

As the annual trade-only event for the dive industry, DEMA Show attracts almost 10,000 Attendees each year. The Association often receives inquiries from Members asking how the host city and convention facilities are selected.  Simply stated, selection is based on the availability of sites and the needs of Attendees and Exhibitors.

“As an international organization, DEMA consciously works to select a venue that will offer value to all of our constituents, particularly our Members,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “Since venue changes usually require an advance window of three to five years, the Show Committee is always considering new cities to host DEMA Show. In the recent past, DEMA has reviewed proposals from various locations such as Reno, New Orleans, San Diego, Denver and others. Based on the criteria requirements, we will continue to select venues that benefit both Attendees and Exhibitors.”

One variable that restricts city and venue choices is the size of the available convention center.  DEMA Show is one of the “Top 250” trade shows in the US according to Trade Show News NetworkMagazine, requiring between 350,000 and 400,000 gross square feet of contiguous space and with at least 30 meeting room spaces to accommodate daily Exhibitor-sponsored and DEMA-sponsored seminars.  As a result, DEMA Show can only be accommodated in a limited number of US cities.

In a recent Trade Show Executive article listing the largest convention facilities in the US, fewer than 40 centers were shown to be large enough to handle DEMA Show.  Some of those don’t have sufficient contiguous space.  

DEMA is also very concerned with Exhibitor and Attendee costs for participating in the Show, and selecting cities with reasonable hotel and labor costs is of paramount concern.  Another important considerations is making sure that sufficient airlift exists to oblige domestic US and international travelers to DEMA Show.    

Host hotel cost for DEMA Show has always been kept under $200 per night, a rarity for large convention cities and hotels within a short distance to the convention center.  The host hotel criteria includes the need to accommodate up to 12,000 guests with a minimum of 8,500 room-nights (1,800 on peak nights) and be located within a five mile radius of the convention facilities. Additionally, current published industry labor rates for the city must be within 10% of the median current rates for past DEMA Show cities.

In addition to setting the overarching goal of “producing an annual trade event for the industry which services the needs of its stakeholders and produces a successful financial outcome for the association,” ultimately, the DEMA Board makes the final decision on Show locations based on staff research and analysis of available venues. Since 2007, DEMA Show has selected a rotation between Orlando, FL and Las Vegas, NV. Both Orlando and Las Vegas are major airline gateways and their convention centers are ranked within the top five meeting destinations based uponpopularity and size.

The dates for the upcoming shows are as follows:

• 2015: November 4-7: Orange County Convention Center, South Halls, Orlando, FL
• 2016: November 16-19: Las Vegas Convention Center, South Halls, Las Vegas, NV
• 2017: November 1-4: Orange County Convention Center, South Halls, Orlando, FL
• 2018: November 14-17: Las Vegas Convention Center, South Halls, Las Vegas, NV
• 2019: October 30 – November 2: Orange County Convention Center, South Halls, Orlando, FL

DEMA continues to review potential new venue cities and facilities that meet the criteria desired by DEMA Members and Show Attendees and Exhibitors.  For more information on DEMA Show visit www.demashow.com.