Come Together in Celebration at the 2013 DEMA Awards Party

Stuart Cove & Dr. Lee Somers to be Recognized at the Beatles-Themed 2013 DEMA Awards Party Held at the Hard Rock Live Orlando Coliseum

DEMA invites you to Come Together at the 25^th annual presentation of the prestigious Reaching Out Awards.  Join us as we take a Beatles-themed trip down the Long and Winding Road of accomplishments and contributions made by this year’s honored recipients, Stuart Cove and Dr. Lee Somers at the Hard Rock Live Orlando.  DEMA’s Awards Party will once again rock Orlando with a networking cocktail hour followed by an array of food and desserts, memorable awards ceremony, dancing, and entertainment provided by “Beatlebeat”, Orlando’s best Beatles tribute band that will take you on a musical and visual trip back to the 60's.

“The DEMA Awards Party honors our annual Reaching Out Award recipients and provides a wonderful opportunity for industry professionals to come together to celebrate and treat themselves, their customers and their staff to a memorable night that includes fabulous food, drinks and entertainment, all packaged at an affordable price,” explained Colleen Vasquez, DEMA Associate Director and Awards Party Coordinator.  Whatever your plans are for the Show, make sure to keep Friday night open!  You don’t want to miss this unforgettable night!

Date:  November 8, 2013

Time:  6:30 PM to 11:30pm

Location:  Hard Rock Live Orlando Coliseum (Shuttle Bus service provided from Rosen Centre & Hilton Orlando Hotels)

Entertainment:  “Beatlebeat”, Orlando’s best Beatles tribute band

Attire:  Party Attire or 1960’s Attire

Individual tickets are available online for $85 until October 11^th, 2013 and $105 thereafter while supplies last. For information on reserved seating for groups of 10, NEW! In 2013 – VIP Suites for groups up to 30 guests and other unique sponsorship opportunities, contact Colleen Vasquez at cvasquez@dema.org or (858) 616-6408 x106. Don’t hesitate! There are a limited number of reserved tables of 10 and VIP Suites available and they are going quickly; reserve yours today!

DEMA’s Be A Diver Pool Tour Kicks Off Summer Dive Season Delivering Scuba Diving Message to Over 5 Million Viewers

Tour Helps Earn National and Local Broadcast Television Coverage for Wounded Warriors

DEMA’s Be A Diver Pool Tour continues to prove its value as a consumer awareness and new diver acquisition program. The tour started summer off exhibiting at the San Diego International Boat Show, and made a special stop at the Wounded Warrior Project 9^th Annual Adaptive Watersports Festival. The Pool garnered over five million viewer impressions worth more than $400,000 from the past two stops alone, while helping to bring recognition to the Wounded Warriors.

“Having the Be A Diver Pool travel across the country to exhibit at various cross-marketing consumer shows is an extremely powerful tool to introduce scuba diving to people. It’s a convenient way for attendees to try scuba for the first time and connect with local dive retailers about completing their dive certification,” commented “Big Wave” Dave Reidenbach, Retail Membership Manager of DEMA. “While working with the Wounded Warriors helps DEMA demonstrate that scuba diving is a sport people of any age or physical condition can enjoy, it also is a great way for DEMA to bring the well-deserved recognition to these men and women .”

Scuba diving was highlighted as one of the top activities to try for attendees at the San Diego International Boat Show as it was featured on San Diego’s news stations KFMB-CBS and CW-San Diego 6. Both stations’ segments included reporters broadcasting from the Pool and interviewing “Big Wave” Dave to discuss the Pool tour and safety tips on diving.

The Wounded Warriors visiting the Be A Diver Pool drew top New York media as it was spotlighted on Fox News National’s Fox & Friends morning show for its participation in the Wounded Warrior Project 9th Annual Adaptive Watersports Festival in Breezy Point, New York. DEMA and the Be A Diver Pool teamed up with New York City Firefighters and dive instructor volunteers from the Blue Water Divers, Handicapped Scuba Association International Training Center of New Jersey, and Ski and Scuba Connection to introduce scuba diving to those injured while serving in the military. Fox & Friends’ Meteorologist Janice Dean interviewed one of the young men at the Be A Diver Pool about how completing their scuba certification helped cope with his injuries. The media placement received a viewer audience of over 4.8 million.

The Be A Diver Pool has four additional stops coming up in the next few weeks, including the Pittsburgh Zoo Water Festival, Sioux Empire Fair, Wounded Warrior Project Chicago Watersports Festival and the Progressive Tampa Boat Show. For more information, visit www.BeADiver.com.

Making stops throughout the year at various consumer-oriented travel, outdoor activity and adventure shows, the Be A Diver Pool gives anyone 10 years old and up the opportunity to discover the fun and exciting sport of scuba diving for FREE in the comfort of a large, tropically warm Pool. Event attendees are also able to test out some of the latest scuba equipment and have a photo of themselves taken underwater that can act as an everlasting keepsake. Those who take the plunge need not to worry about getting wet, since the Be A Diver Pool provides wetsuits, towels, hair dryers and dressing rooms.  

Venue For DEMA Shows 2017 and 2019 Announced

DEMA Board Confirms Venue Based Upon Required Criteria; Availability, Size, Member Cost Containment and Hotel Pricing 

The DEMA Board of Directors and staff have conducted a thorough review of available and qualified venues and confirmed the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL as the venue for DEMA Shows 2017 and 2019.

 

“As an international organization, DEMA works to benefit all Members that attend DEMA Show,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “The Show rotates from a western location to a central/eastern location to allow industry professionals from all over the world to easily access show exhibitors and resources. The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL is an ideal location for the Show as it is located in a major city and gateway, is the second most popular US city for all conventions, and meets DEMA’s requirements for hosting the Show.”

 

The factors used for determining the location of DEMA Show include considerations for cost as expressed by DEMA Members and the Industry, and the necessary criteria for size and accessibility.  In order to be considered as a host to DEMA Show the following location requirements must be met:

• The host city should have a substantial number of direct flights coming into the city and be a hub for at least one major airline for North American and International travelers.
• The convention center must have a continuous space of 500,000 gross square feet available; have at least 30 meeting rooms capable of holding at least 50-100 people while using classroom style seating; be located near major hotels and the international airport; and have a variety of cultural attractions, restaurants, events and other entertainment appealing to the diving industry nearby.
• Nearby hotel accommodations must be conveniently located within a 5 mile radius of the convention and exhibit facility for up to 12,000 attendees; accommodate a minimum of 1,800 room peak night pick up and 10,000 total room nights within DEMA’s block alone.  The host hotel rates within the block cannot exceed $180.00.

During 2012 the DEMA Show location Request for Proposal (RFP) for the 2017 and 2019 DEMA Show was sent to the limited number of cities actually capable of accommodating all of these requirements, including:

• Atlanta, GA
• Denver, CO
• Houston, TX
• Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
• Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• New Orleans, LA
• San Diego, CA 

The following venues replied with availability for 2017 and/or 2019 as follows:

1. Denver:
   1. 2017: No dates available between last week of October through week before Thanksgiving
   2. 2019:  Available during the first week of November.  However an Animal Science and Testing Convention is taking place in the same facility at the same time
2. New Orleans:
   1. 2017:  No dates available between last week of October through week before Thanksgiving
   2. 2019:  Available first week of November.  However three other large conventions are staging at the same time.  This would impact accessibility, transportation and hotel availability for DEMA Show attendees and exhibitors.  All hotels rates started at $200 or more per night
3. Orlando: 
   1. 2017: Available 10/27-11/6/17 in the South Hall, favorable pricing for convention center and additional concessions available, including free wi-fi in all public concourses
   2. 2019: Available 10/25-11/4/19 in the South Hall, favorable pricing for convention center and additional concessions available, including free wi-fi in all public concourses

 

After reviewing all of the DEMA Show logistics and venue requirements and the responses received to the DEMA Show RFP the Board made the best possible choice to confirm a home for DEMA Shows 2017 and 2019 and finalize future dates and locations as follows:

 

2013:  November 6-9 | Orange County Convention Center, South Halls, Orlando, FL

2014:  November 19-22 | Las Vegas Convention Center, North Halls, Las Vegas, NV

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:  To Be Determined

2019:  October 30-November 2 | Orange County Convention Center, South Halls, Orlando, FL

 

Going forward the Board will continue to request your input and work with viable convention centers and cities to provide a venue for DEMA Show suitable to the Industry.

 

We want your feedback!  Please let us know your opinions by responding to our Future DEMA Show Venue:  Feedback Request!

 

For more information on DEMA Show visit www.demashow.com. 

Dive Safety Public Service Announcement (PSA) and Poster Made Available for Use Prior to Florida Lobster Mini-Season

DEMA and Divers Alert Network (DAN) Provide Safety Tips for Florida’s Lobster Mini-Season July 24-25, 2013

Printable files:  PDF  |  JPEG

As the 2013 Florida lobster mini-season approaches, DEMA has created a Lobster Mini-Season poster and is distributing a 30-second PSA in an effort to increase diver safety by reminding divers to be prepared for the upcoming mini-season. DEMA Members are encouraged to print the Lobster Mini-Season poster and to distribute it to their customers as well as share it electronically with their online community. Both the poster and PSA are part of DEMA’s ongoing campaign to encourage divers to refresh their training and maintain their equipment prior to getting back in the water.

“Our mission in creating this Lobster Season PSA is to remind divers to get prepared for the lobster mini-season, and to remind them that they should adhere to necessary safety measures, including diving with a buddy when hunting for lobsters,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “By increasing awareness of the recommended procedures divers should take before hunting for lobsters, we hope to keep diving safe for everyone this season.”

The 30-second PSA was produced by DEMA in partnership with DAN. It was created to encourage divers to visit their local dive center to update their dive equipment and to refresh and upgrade their dive training.

In addition to being made available to the Industry for download and sharing, the poster and PSA will be promoted as a social media campaign via DEMA, Be A Diver, and DiveCaching Twitter & Facebook pages prior to and during the Lobster Mini-Season, as well as on social media sites of affiliated organizations. The poster is now available to be viewed, shared and downloaded and the PSA can be viewed and shared via the Be A Diver YouTube channel. All divers and Industry Professionals are encouraged to share the PSA with their social media friends and followers and their local diving community to spread this important message. DEMA Members can download and print the poster for their customers and stores.