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SUSTAINABILITY & CONSERVATION

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND MANATEE PROTECTION PLAN

The Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show has an ongoing commitment to support and protect marine wildlife. To reinforce this commitment, we have implemented a comprehensive plan for the safety of any manatees in the area during the sea trials.

To maximize the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show’s responsiveness during sea trials, the Boat Show’s parent company, Informa Markets, has retained Dr. Amy C. Hirons, Director, Charismatic Megafauna and Oceanography Laboratory (CMOL) at Nova Southeastern University, to conduct a thorough assessment. 

Dr. Hirons scope of work will consist of the following:

1) Locate, organize, and train 10-20 individuals, predominantly Nova Southeastern University marine graduate and undergraduate students, to act as Manatee Spotters for the duration of the show. A training session will be required for these Manatee Spotters on Tuesday, 15 February. Spotters will be trained to:

  • Keep a sharp lookout and to identify snouts and silhouettes
  • Reduce speed in areas known for manatees
  • Inform sea trial participants to keep their distance from manatees
  • Inform sea trial participants to slow vessels immediately and to place the boat in neutral in the event of a manatee sighting 

One Spotter is anticipated per vessel (35’ and greater). The Spotters will be required to wear polarized sunglasses and a designated t-shirt or vest identifying them as a Manatee Spotter. Each vessel should have marine binoculars that the Spotters can use for greater visual acuity.

Each Spotter will collect data on manatee observations during each sea trial and in the vicinity of the marina, base of sea trials as well as Venetian and MacArthur Causeways (number sighted, distance, day, time) on a manatee log. 

2) There will be three drones flying the show. Each drone will cover a different area – (i) one will be located at the sea-isle marina north of the Venetian Causeway, (ii) one will be at the Genting property located between the Venetian Causeway and the MacArthur Causeway, and (iii) one at the Museum Park slip/cruise ship turning basin located south of the MacArthur Causeway. 

The drone pilots will be stationed on the end of the docks near the water taxi stands. Each done pilot will have a separate 10x10 shaded tent with AC power to charge their equipment. Drone pilots will communicate with water taxi and sea trial captains through VHF and closed UHF communication networks. Drone pilots will record in-water conditions, and the recordings will be analyzed by CMOL and findings will be incorporated into a final report.

3) A final report assimilating all available manatee encounter data during the boat show will be provided to Informa Markets 60 days post closure of the MIBS and receipt of all data.

4) Informa Markets has also contributed a $20,000 corporate sponsorship of the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s (SMM) international conference, SMM2021, which will be held in Palm Beach, FL 1-5 August 2022. During the conference, Dr. Hirons will present the results of her final report, and a moderated panel of biologists, regulators and industry representatives will discuss the importance of coordinated environmental initiatives among the business community, the scientific community and government. 

CARBON NEUTRAL GOAL

Thanks to our partnership with Yacht Carbon Offset we have offset 3,345 tonnes CO2e in 2022 (across Informa’s three US-based International Boats Shows DBMIBS, PBIBS & FLIBS), which represents the greenhouse gas emissions from 298,590 US Gallons of Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (a contribution of the fuel consumed by all the vessels at the show).

Our contributions have helped fund the Chacayes Hydroelectric Project and currently the Wigton Windfarm Project in Jamaica. 

The key concept is that carbon credits are used to convey a net climate benefit from one entity to another. A carbon credit represents a reduction of one metric tonne of GHG emissions achieved by a carbon reduction project.

Carbon credits are transferrable instruments. They are used to convey the GHG emissions reduction achieved by a carbon reduction project to a recipient (an individual or entity) that is generating GHG emissions. The recipient purchases the required number of carbon credits to counterbalance their own emissions on a tonne-for-tonne basis.

 

CHARITABLE DONATIONS

As part of our commitment to the preservation of South Florida’s endangered marine life ecosystem, we have partnered with the Miami Foundation to raise donations for the Biscayne Bay Recovery Fund. This initiative was created to protect the 35-mile-long marine ecosystem and economic engine for Greater Miami.

The health of Biscayne Bay is threatened by nutrient pollution from storm-water runoff, sewage pipe breaks, septic tanks, fertilizers, plastic pollution, and other contaminants that are killing seagrass and driving off fish. Donations will be used to create programs and projects to help raise awareness and support the mission and efforts of conserving Biscayne Bay.

Informa U.S. Boatshows has also donated a $300,000 contribution to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida (FWC) to support multiple initiatives advocating for environmental preservation.

These initiatives include the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Outdoor Classroom project and the education and conservation of marine turtles and the ocean ecosystem; and the Manatee Lagoon Eco-Discovery Center’s mission to educate the public about manatees and to inspire communities to preserve and protect Florida’s environment and wildlife for future generations.

Lastly, this contribution will go towards the FWC’s Manatee restoration projects to support the conservation of Florida’s manatee habitats.

Informa Markets U.S. Boat Shows is also a sponsor of the 2022 Willoughby Expedition, a study that samples and tests for microplastic pollutants that adversely affect plant and animal species in the Everglades National Park.

SUSTAINABLE CATERING

Proof of the Pudding is the exclusive catering company of the Boat Show and understands our commitment to running a responsible, sustainable event.

As part of this initiative, we are moving towards zero landfill waste from our events and are implementing the following action items: 

  • No Styrofoam Policy
  • Sustainable Food
  • Designation on Menu
  • Phasing Out Straws

Our Culinary and Sales team centers on fresh farm-to-plate, fruits and vegetables, sustainable seafood, and natural organic meats. We partner with purveyors to use locally-sourced, organic, and sustainable products. Our organization contributes to increasing our efficiency and reducing our impact on the environment, in ways both big and small.

At the Informa US Boat Shows, we only use compostable materials in our food service operation. We are also proud to announce that we have donated 3,125 pounds worth of food and ingredients (equivalent to $15,635) to the homeless shelters in partnership with Faith Farms. 

TENTED HERO TURTLES

Each year, we produce the Palm Beach International Boat Show on behalf of the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County. Through a member of the association, we found out that the local Loggerhead Marinelife Center had a big problem.

The Center promotes the conservation of ocean ecosystems with a particular focus on threatened and endangered turtles. Due to renovations, the Center needed somewhere to put the tanks with the turtles.

We realized we could help by loaning our unused marquees from the boat show when we heard about this. Our tech and transport teams volunteered over a weekend to move two truckloads of tents and build them at the Center.

Our US boat shows have been supporting local communities in various ways for years; this project felt particularly close to our hearts because we all love the ocean and its ecosystem – it’s one of the reasons we’re in the business we’re in.

ENERGY-EFFICIENCY GOAL

 As part of our commitment to the environment, we have been working to manage our event’s carbon impact by investing over $2.8 million dollars to eliminate the use of diesel generators and reduce our electricity usage with energy-saving technology which will result in an estimated 15-20% decrease.

This includes the installation of Tune Harmonics devices on our electrical equipment to reduce energy consumption and use energy-efficient LED lighting throughout the event.

DBMIBS is powered by renewable electricity making the electricity use carbon neutral. We use an established global process to pay a premium to renewable electricity producers. These Energy Attribution Certificates (EACs) allow us to match our electricity usage with the required amount of green energy. This creates additional incentives for generators to invest in renewable power. We are still trying to use less electricity overall for our events, but this process ensures it’s as sustainable as possible.