In early 2012 DEMA announced plans for their Inaugural Consumer Show in Ft. Lauderdale and excitement has been building ever since. The goal of the new Water Sports and Travel Festival is to broaden the audience for the SCUBA diving market by reaching out to a wide range of adventure sports and water enthusiasts. Organizers of the event are calling it “four shows in one” because it not only includes SCUBA diving, but also includes all types of “board sports,” a wide range of boating activities, as well as worldwide dive and active travel.

Ft. Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Center
Florida Dive Connection has been bringing our readers information about the event from the beginning and will continue to do so. The event is on our calendar where updates will be posted by event marketing. The Water Sports and Travel Festival website has more information and the Facebook page is also live.
This is the latest press release and we will bring you new information as it becomes available. We hope to see everybody there!
WATER, SPORTS & TRAVEL FESTIVAL
FOUR SHOWS UNDER ONE ROOF
Exhibition & special events spotlight all types of water sports including, on water, below water and above water
Fort Lauderdale, FL – The first-ever Water, Sports & Travel Festival, presented by leading water sports organizations will be held at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and several locations throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale from April 26-28, 2013. The Festival exhibition will feature four co-located shows including “The Board Show”, “The Dive Show”, “The Boating & Water Toys Show”, and “The Travel Show”.
“Recognizing Floridians’ strong interest in an active lifestyle, as well as the increasing diversity of their water sports interests, we have brought together four Shows that spotlight all types of water sports,” said Tom Ingram, Executive Director of the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA). “The purpose of this multi-sport event is to encourage water sports enthusiasts of all kinds to expand their horizons and try these other activities.” Featured sports in “The Board Show” include, SUP, surf, wake, waterski, kite, para sailing, wind surfing, skate and snowboarding; “The Dive Show” will include scuba diving, free diving, spearfishing and snorkeling; “The Boating & Water Toys Show” features sport boats, inflatables, kayaks and underwater toys; and “The Travel Show” will feature dive and active travel trips from around the world.
Other features of the Festival will include: product & equipment demonstrations; consumer educational programs, seminars and training sessions; business conference sessions for professionals managing retail stores and travel agents interested in improving their knowledge of this market; a lionfish cook-off; career fair; a beach clean-up; a major SUP competition; and city-wide water themed events and exciting activities for all age groups.The Water, Sports & Travel Festival is presented by Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) in conjunction with the Association of Wind & Water Sports Industries (AWSI), American Canoe Association (ACA), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA), Kite World Magazine, Scuba Sport Magazine, South Florida Underwater Photography Society (SFUPS), South Florida Wakeboarding Association (SFWA), Surfrider Foundation’s Florida Regional Chapter, and X-Ray Magazine. The Water, Sports & Travel Festival is managed by MSE Management, a leading events marketing agency offering both strategic and management services for the creation and development of exhibitions, conferences & congresses around the world. For more information, visit: http://www.msemgmt.com.
For Festival information, visit www.wstfest.com, e-mail: or (800) 322-9332. Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WSTFest Twitter: www.Twitter.com/WSTFest
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