GREEN IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO AS ADEX 2008 URGES

Reflecting the global dive industry trend towards more environmentally aware dive practices, Asia Dive Expo 2008 (ADEX) will this year turn its focus squarely towards eco-friendly diving. ADEX, which runs from 18-20 April 2008 at Halls 602 & 603 of Suntec Singapore, has always highlighted marine conservation over the years through various show activities and initiatives, but this year will see the effort stepping into higher gear with a unifying GREEN message.

• G – Get support on marine environmental projects
• R – Reduce, Recycle & Reuse
• E – Educate the public to conserve the marine ecosystem
• E – Encourage and engage companies to contribute to environmental initiatives
• N – Nurture young children to adopt the “save the marine ecosystem” cause

Partnering with a number of progressive conservation groups including OceanNEnvironment, Project Aware, Wyland Foundation and the Singapore Environment Council, ADEX will for the first time provide such organisations with a unified platform for communicating conservation minded dive-related issues to the industry, divers, dive operators, resorts, NGOs, government bodies and the general public.

Said Herman Ho, Managing Director of ADEX organiser TMX Show Productions Pte Ltd, "For the first time in our 14 year history, ADEX will take a concerted stance towards environmental dive issues with the rallying cry 'Save the sea, Be a diver!' which is the theme of this year's exhibition.

Mr. Ho said that this new green direction for ADEX is an ongoing initiative for subsequent ADEX events in the foreseeable future. "ADEX this year sounds the beginning of an ongoing clarion call to action on the part of everyone involved in the industry. It is time we come together on these issues before the oceans are irreparably damaged and the last pristine reefs and habitats are lost forever".

ADEX 2008 aims this year to attract more ‘latent divers’ to the sport – those who dive but have stopped, as well as people who do not dive but who have the ability to. It is hoped that the green message of all ADEX exhibitors and partners will prove a strong motivator for these latent divers who also share a genuine interest in conservation issues.

Spearheading ADEX's roster of green-themed events and highlights will be ‘The EcoVillage @ ADEX 2008'. A combination of exciting EcoVillage activities such as seminars, film fests, photography competitions, educational tours, ADEX dollar deals and ADEX merchandise will together serve to promote, accent, nurture, attract and finance eco-friendly dive practices across all sectors of the Asian dive industry. All proceeds from ADEX merchandise will be donated to a major marine conservation cause, the International Year of the Reef 2008. The International Year of the Reef 2008 is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability, and to motivate people to take action to protect them.

On a wider level, ‘The EcoVillage @ ADEX’ has been created to instil a sense of environmentalism as a way of life amongst both adults and students. More than 3,000 local school students will visit The EcoVillage to learn more about how they can ‘save the sea by being a diver’.

‘Eco-friendly diving’ is a multi-facetted subject covering the preservation of live coral reefs, maintaining sustainable fisheries, protecting endangered species such as sharks and whales, responsible wreck diving and dive-related aspects of eco-tourism too. It cuts across general conservation practices such as keeping beaches clean and refuse free, or industrial conservation practices such as creating more fuel efficient/less pollution-prone motor engines for dive vessels. The scope for concerted action by those with an aware mind and willing heart is vast.

ADEX has made a real, tangible impact on marine conservation efforts in years past. In 2005 for example, ADEX channelled over 200,000 baht towards the purchase of dive equipment for an Ecotourism Training Center (ETC) in Khao Lak, Thailand. The ETC is a non-profit training program for Thai nationals, formed in response to the 2004 Tsunami Disaster. The organisation's central mission begins with teaching and training young Thai people for a new career in environmental tourism.

Said Reid Ridgway, Managing Director of the Ecotourism Training Centre, "ADEX was really the birthplace of the Ecotourism Training Center, and it was with this early support that the ETC turned from a concept into the dedicated organization it is today—providing a host of environmental services to the local area, as well as a providing a huge and growing educational outreach program."

At the same time, ADEX preserves and enlarges its role as the regional dive industry's number one meeting place and marketplace. This year, ADEX expects further healthy growth, anticipating over 8,000 visitors, more than 150 exhibiting companies across 6,000 square metres of floor space. Unrivalled opportunities are presented for industry networking, B2B and B2C sales and the chance for vendors, retailers and tour operators to showcase their products and services to a discerning and sophisticated diving audience.

Top international brand names like Bauer Compressors, Beuchat, Coltri Sub, Cressi-Sub, L&W Compressors, Mares, Oceanic and Saekodive return to ADEX this year alongside some fresh faces in the dive equipment industry. The sheer wealth and variety of equipment brands has always been a powerful draw card for visitors seeking to upgrade their knowledge of the latest and hottest gear and swap equipment reviews with fellow divers.

Together with the latest sport and commercial dive equipment and products showcased by leading brands, visitors can stand by for immersion in some of the top dive sites around Asia. National Tourism Boards of Asian countries will, as with previous years, promote both established and latest dive resorts to come online in places like Guam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and The Philippines.

But once again this year, novices don't even need to wait for their holidays to get their feet wet. Thanks to the return of those perennial ADEX favourite, the Scuba try outs, this initiative will allow non-divers to try out the sport in the comfort and safety of the show arena.

Supporting and lending their weight to ADEX are numerous leading dive and conservation related associations and organisations including the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA), the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC), Divers Alert Network (DAN), the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD), Scuba Schools International (SSI), the Singapore Underwater Federation (SUF) and the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

Said Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA, “Once again DEMA is proud to be associated with the ADEX Show. Their GREEN theme is in keeping with promoting environmental awareness in the region, and their call to Be A Diver mirrors that of DEMA’s own Be A Diver campaign in the US. DEMA continues to endorse the ADEX Show as a premier diving industry event in Singapore.”

For more information on ADEX please visit http://www.asiadiveexpo.com

About TMX Show Productions Pte Ltd

TMX Show Productions Pte Ltd (TMX), a newly formed company, acquired Suntec Integrated Media (SIM) in November 2007. TMX will focus on conceptualising and developing specialised sports and lifestyle events for identified industries and market segments. The current events under TMX’s management include Boat Asia (conferred the Best Boat Show in Asia by the prestigious Christofle Asia Boating Awards 2007), Boat Thai, Asia Dive Expo (ADEX) as well as the Sports and Fitness Expo (SFE).

TMX, under the direction of Mr Herman Ho (Managing Director), will continue to build on the foundation that SIM has laid for its events and bring the events to greater heights. The company vision is “To be the best show producer in the sports, leisure and lifestyle industry”. Before establishing TMX, Mr Ho was the founder and owner of the successful Techmex Event Production Pte Ltd (TEPS) which was set up in 1999.

For more information on TMX, visit http://www.tmx.com.sg Further information for media please contact:

Danny Chaplin Managing Director Chaplin Public Relations Tel : +65 6256 5100 Cell : +65 9862 6140 Email : danny.chaplin@chaplinpr.com

Contributed by Nora added 2008-01-22