All You Need to Know About the Scuba360 Business Forum
We bring you all the topics that will be covered by our experienced speakers at the Scuba360 Business Forum. Hear from industry leaders and key players presenting subjects from sustainable dive tourism to career possibilities for the disabled. This is a major opportunity for businesses in Asia Pacific to share information and get the inside track on the trajectory of the industry.
Citizen Science, Diving Tourism and the Power to Protect
Marine wildlife watching is one of the fastest growing tourism industries in the Philippines. Unregulated and poorly managed tourism practices are increasingly becoming the norm in many locations. The engagement of the diving community through citizen science can promote sustainable diving practices while providing long-term datasets for the proper management of key biodiversity habitats. Education, communities’ participation and tourist engagement are essential for the long-term conservation of coral reef ecosystems throughout Southeast Asia. The Philippines is leading the way with many successful shark and turtle citizen science programmes.
Presented by Alessandro Ponzo
A New Turtle Adventure: Diving Tourism and Citizen Science – How Your Dive Can Make a Difference
Even with some form of protection in place in many countries in Southeast Asia, all species of sea turtles are endangered and every year fewer females return to lay their eggs on our beaches. With most of their life cycle spent offshore, studying the dynamics of sea turtle populations is costly and often impossible for researchers. A new initiative in the Philippines is allowing divers to join conservation efforts and to contribute through their photographs. These images can deepen our understanding of the turtles’ movements and habitat use, providing essential information to protect them before it’s too late.
Presented by Alessandro Ponzo
Saving Seahorses Means Saving the Seas
Learn how the world of business can be a notable partner in seahorse conservation. From participating in science to engaging with clients, the dive and tourism industries can make the ocean healthier.
Presented by Amanda Vincent
Scuba Therapy for the Disabled
This talk discusses how financial reimbursement to care, nurture and protect life beneath the sea, using disabled commercial divers, could serve to clear sediment from the sea that could be harvested for pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes.
Presented by Jim Elliot
Underwater Technical Commercial Training for the Disabled
This presentation explains the viability of training the disabled and others to become commercial environmental divers and underwater landscape artists using commercial diving equipment and modification of existing technology for use underwater.
Presented by Charles Rowe
How Protecting Marine Flora and Fauna Can Reward Your Dive Business
This session addresses the establishment of a garden beneath the bay to nurture and protect marine flora and fauna as an underwater showcase for tourism and a subsea laboratory. Recycling of materials into the concrete artificial reefs serves as a foundation for the underwater garden.
Presented by Charles Rowe
The Role of the Dive Industry in Marine Conservation
The dive industry is fortunate enough to experience the joys of the underwater world while earning a livelihood from it, but with that joy comes a responsibility to protect and conserve. There are numerous ways in which a dive operator or company can get involved in conservation, particularly if in conjunction with the local communities. As the dive industry brings significant income into the surrounding areas, this talk examines how the influence our industry has can be used to best effect.
Presented by David McCann
Dive Tourism and Its Impact on Marine Conservation and Livelihoods for Local Fishers
Dive tourism focuses on coral reefs in the tropics, which is also home to some of the world’s poorest communities. Providing livelihoods for fishers is important to reduce pressure on coral reefs. This research investigates what dive tourism does for marine conservation and livelihoods and the effect on coral reefs and levels of destructive fishing and overfishing. A model of best practice for dive tourism’s contributions to marine conservation will also be developed.
Presented by Judi Lowe
Scaling Up Sustainable Marine Tourism Initiatives in the Coral Triangle
This presentation will discuss the significant role that sustainable marine tourism plays in protecting and sustaining the extraordinary biodiversity of the Coral Triangle. It will also touch on the various ways that sustainable marine tourism initiatives can be scaled up across the region through the adoption sustainable tourism guidelines and standards for developments and investments in the Coral Triangle’s marine protected areas.
Presented by Rili Djohani
Working with Local Communities to Promote Sustainable Marine Tourism
This talk discusses, from the private sector’s perspective, how and why it makes sense to work with communities to promote sustainable marine tourism and protect coral reefs in Pemuteran, North Bali. One of these projects is the Reef Gardeners, which trains and creates jobs for young fishers to actively protect the coral reefs. Reef Gardeners, trained as PADI Rescue Divers, remove crown-of-thorns starfish and Drupella snails, repair broken corals, monitor Biorock installations, and maintain the Temple Garden.
Presented by Chris Brown
Using Technology to Strengthen Sustainable Marine Tourism in the Coral Triangle
This session discusses how new technology can strengthen marine resource management and sustainable marine tourism initiatives on the ground, increase engagement, and play a role in scaling up the best practices across countries.
Presented by Mark Kaplan
Change Is Sweeping the Scuba Industry – What You Don’t Know Will Kill Your Business
There is a big shift happening that’s affecting the dive industry and it’s being driven by a type of consumer who is geared to make or break your business. Armed with a new set of values, this growing consumer segment is putting new demands on traditional dive business model. In this session, you’ll learn about the wave of change this consumer is creating, what you need to know about this “consumer-who-cannot-be-ignored”, and specific steps to take (and dangers to avoid) to position yourself to attract this growing market segment – and keep yourself in business.
Presented by Laurie J. Wilson
The Elephant in the Ocean – Dive Industry Leaders Speak Out About Ocean Issues We’ve Been Ignoring
The “elephant in the ocean” is an obvious industry issue that is either being glossed over or completely unaddressed. It is the idea that the largest terrestrial animal on the planet would be impossible to overlook if it were found basking in diving hotspots. In this session, you’ll hear from some of the top thinkers in our industry who are willing to speak up about “the elephant”, and how dive businesses are taking lead roles in facing the elephant head on. Hear from Sylvia Earle, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Stan Waterman, Sharon Kwok, John Thet, and more.
Presented
by Laurie J. Wilson
The Economic Value of Muck Critters
While muck diving is booming in popularity, research and conservation has not followed suit. This presentation explains just how much money is generated by muck dive tourism and which are the top species generating this income. The talk will explain the general profile of muck divers and how this information can lead to better conservation practices.
Presented by Maarten De Brauwer
Innovation in Underwater Optics
Presented by Edward Lai
Launch of Deepblu Innovation
Media launch event introducing Deepblu, where the company will unveil its social network platform tailored for divers as well as the next innovation in dive computing: the COSMIQ Dive Companion.
Presented by Brad Chen and James Tsuei
Scuba360 Business Forum Time-Table
FRIDAY, 15 APRIL |
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Time |
Speaker |
Topic |
1000 – 1100 |
|
SSI Members Update |
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|
|
1100 – 1200 |
|
SSI Members Update |
|
|
|
1200 – 1300 |
Beauchat |
Beauchat Seminar for Asia Distributors (By invitation Only) |
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|
|
1300 – 1400 |
Beauchat |
Beauchat Seminar for Asia Distributors (By invitation Only) |
|
|
|
1400 – 1500 |
Beauchat |
Beauchat Seminar for Asia Distributors (By invitation Only) |
|
|
|
1500 – 1600 |
|
Opening Ceremony |
|
|
|
1600 – 1700 |
|
Opening Ceremony |
|
|
|
1700 – 1800 |
Indonesia Tourism |
Press Conference |
SATURDAY, 16 APRIL 2016 |
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Start Time |
Speaker |
Topic |
1010 – 1040 |
|
|
1050 – 1120 |
Charles Rowe |
Underwater Technical Commercial Training for the Disabled |
1130 – 1200 |
Chris Brown |
Working with Local Communities to Promote Sustainable Marine Tourism |
1210 – 1240 |
Laurie Wilson |
The Elephant in the Ocean – Dive Industry Leaders Speak Out About Ocean Issues We’ve Been Ignoring
|
1250 – 1320 |
Brad / James |
Launch of Deepblu Innovation |
1330 – 1400 |
Mark Kaplan |
Using Technology to Strengthen Sustainable Marine Tourism |
1410 – 1440 |
Judi Lowe |
Dive Tourism and its Impact on Marine Conservation and Livelihood for Local Fishers |
1450 – 1520 |
Amanda Vincent |
Saving Seahorse Means Saving the Seas |
1530 – 1600 |
Alessandro Ponzo |
Citizen Science, diving tourism and the power to protect |
1610 – 1640 |
Rili Djohani |
Scaling up Sustainable Marine Tourism Initiatives in the Coral Triangle |
1650 – 1720 |
Indo Tourism |
Sustainable Tourism (Sbj to Change) |
1730 – 1830 |
Panel Discussion |
Sustainable Marine Tourism (Speakers Presenting on Sunday) Judi Lowe (Moderator) Charles Rowe Chris Brown Laurie Wilson Mark Kaplan Amanda Vincent Alessandro Ponzo Rili Djohani John Thet |
SUNDAY, 17 APRIL 2016 |
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Start Time |
Speaker |
Topic |
1010 – 1040 |
Jerker Tamelander |
TBC |
1050 – 1120 |
Charles Rowe |
How Protecting Marine Flora and Fauna can Reward your Dive Business |
1130 – 1215 |
Edward Lai |
Innovation in Underwater Optics |
1225 – 1255 |
Alessandro Ponzo |
A New Turtle Adventure: Diving Tourism and Citizen Science – How your Dive can Make a Difference |
1305 – 1335 |
Laurie Wilson |
Change Is Sweeping the Scuba Industry – |
1345 – 1415 |
David McCann |
The Role of the Dive Industry in Marine Conservation |
1425 – 1455 |
Maarten De Brauwer |
The Economic Value of Muck Critters |
1505 – 1535 |
Jim Elliot |
Scuba Therapy for the Disabled |
1545 – 1615 |
Mark Kaplan |
Using Technology to Strengthen Sustainable Marine Tourism in the Coral Triangle |
1625 – 1655 |
Judi Lowe |
Dive Tourism and its Impact on Marine Conservation and Livelihood for Local Fishers |
1705 -1805 |
Panel Discussion |
The Impact of Climate Change towards Marine Tourism (Speakers Presenting on Saturday) Charles Rowe Jerker Tamelander Alessandro Ponzo Laurie Wilson David McCann Maarten De Brauwer Jim Elli Mark Kaplan Judi Lowe |