Ocean Business 2017, which takes place in Southampton at the National Oceanography Centre on 4-6 April 2017, is shaping up to be a vibrant international event for the ocean technology industry. Larger than ever before, the event will feature 340 exhibitors, including almost 50 first time exhibitors at the show, from 26 countries around the globe.

Cheri Arvonio, Ocean Business Event Manager, explains: "We have a fantastic diversity of exhibitors lined up for this year's show and are thrilled that so many companies are joining us for the first time this year. The fact that many exhibitors are from overseas proves that Ocean Business is recognized internationally as a leading event for innovation in ocean technology. As well as this, we expect that over 40% of the show's visitors will be from outside the UK."

First time exhibitor, Neil Manning, Chief Business Development Officer at US based 3D at Depth confirms this: "As one of the leading tradeshows worldwide, we are confident that Ocean Business will provide a great opportunity for us to directly connect with our customers in a unique environment with hands on demonstrations of new and innovative technology. We will showcase the success of our technology by providing real-world examples of how subsea LiDAR can increase offshore efficiencies especially in the areas of decommissioning and other applications where 3D mapping is critical to a project's success."

Another exhibitor new to Ocean Business is Norway's Ecotone which has developed a unique system for visual mapping and monitoring of the seabed and installations, such as pipelines, drill sites, environmental mapping and sea farm inspections. Ecotone's CEO, Ivar Erdal, comments: "We believe Ocean Business is a great place to show our latest products and developments, and to meet people with interest in our technology."

In addition to the three-day exhibition of technology and services, at the core of the event, there are a series of hands-on training and demonstration workshops which enable exhibitors to present their products in the most effective way, and for customers to actually try out the new technologies. The show's venue at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, provides unique dockside facilities that are fully integrated into the show so technology can be demonstrated on the dockside or onboard vessels throughout the show.

Running alongside the exhibition is a conference focusing on maritime dual-use opportunities in autonomous systems and satellite applications, various associated meetings held by leading organizations in the industry, Ocean Careers providing career and recruitment advice and a full line-up of enjoyable social events for informal networking; from drinks and a wine trail, to an evening gala dinner. Ocean Business once again presents an action-packed program!

Visit www.oceanbusiness.com for FREE visitor registration and for full details about Ocean Business 2017 which takes place at the NOC, Southampton, UK from 4 – 6 April 2017.