The XXX Palma Boat Show is anticipated to attract 50.000 visitors from 1st till the 5th of May

The president of the government, José Ramón Bauzá, and the mayor of Palma, Mateo Isern presented today the XXX edition of the Palma Boat Show, which is anticipated to attract up to 50.000 visitors within the framework of the Palma International Nautical Week. 

At the presentation, Bauzá emphasized that not only does the Show promote the recreational yachting but also the Balearic Islands as a destination par excellence for this sector, “with the best technical and commercial services of the Mediterranean”. 

Bauzá indicated that the nautical sector is “strategic” for the community for its high growth potential 

and its capacity to create wealth and jobs. He reminded that the sector generates an annual business volume of approximately 800 million euros, almost 3% of the Gross National Product, out of which more than 200 million derive from naval construction and reparation. 

The mayor of Palma, Mateo Isern, stated that during the Show the city becomes the neuralgic point of nautical tourism in the Mediterranean and emphasized the importance of attracting this kind of tourist who spends a lot more than the conventional tourist with the average daily spending of 110 €.

Presentation of the Show that will put the Balearic Islands on the nautical world map

The president of the Balearic government, José Ramón Bauzá, and the mayor of Palma, Mateo Isern presented today the Palma International Nautical Week, a collection of activities around the 30th edition of the Palma Boat Show, which will convert the Balearic Islands into a worldwide showcase of the nautical sector between the 29th of April and 11th of May. 

During the presentation, president Bauzá assured that “right from the beginning, this government has supported and promoted the nautical sector, which is of strategic importance for our community and has potential to create wealth and jobs”. Besides, the president reminded that “the nautical sector generates a business turnover of nearly 800 million euros, almost 3% of our gross domestic product”. 

e3 Systems expand into USA and appoint new Direct Sales Manager.

David Horacek

e3 Systems have announced the opening of a new office in Fort Lauderdale and the appointment of a US VP for Direct Sales, David Horacek. Horacek joins e3 from Linkscape, a maritime VSAT service provider. His previous positions have all been in the field of providing global voice, data, and IT solutions both on land and at sea. 

“David has extensive experience in communications sales and business development in the maritime and yachting industry. We are delighted that he has joined us at a time of expansion into the US market.” commented Roger Horner, e3 Systems Managing Director. 

The Tripartite Foundation warns against data protection companies that offer their services free of charge.

In the face of the influx of the companies that offer data protection services FREE or at ZERO COST, we are forced to raise the alarm about the illegality of such practices. Basically, they take advantage of the bonus system for companies that offer professional training for their employees. 

The following of the Data Protection Law is a very serious matter and we consider it a fundamental right of every citizen. Improper practices are harmful, even irreparable. They discredit the letter of the law by making it difficult for organizations to comply due to inadequate adaptation to the norms. 

We are talking about misleading practices that put the employees rights at risk, by channeling funds meant for their professional training into something else, meaning that consultancy services are camouflaged as teaching professional training courses. This is a fraudulent practice, called incorrectly as “free”, as the funds for the professional training of employees is paid by all the citizens in the form of taxes. 

The Government will collaborate with the nautical sector for a better future.

*A link to.pdf of the conclusions in Spanish at the end of the article. 

The Nautical Sector Working Group, consisting of representatives of both the nautical sector and the Public Administration had a meeting yesterday presided by the Economic Vice President Josep Ignasi Aguiló. The purpose of the meeting was to make a diagnosis of what is going on in the sector at the moment and to make a plan for the collaboration between the public and the private sectors to be able to maintain jobs. 

As representatives of the private sector the following entities participated in the meeting: The Federation of the Balearic Nautical Enterprises (FENIB), The Association of the Balearic Nautical Enterprises (AENB), The Association of Marinas and Nautical Installations of the Balearic Islands (ANADE), The Association of the Yacht Clubs of the Balearic Islands (ACNB) and the Spanish Association of Superyachts (AEGY). 

Strategies 

On behalf of the Government participated the Vice President Aguiló, the autonomic secretary of Business promotion, Lourdes Cardona, the general director of the Department of Commerce and Business, César Pacheco and the general director of Ports and Airports, Antoni Deudero. 

After receiving the list of goals, elaborated by the Working Group as a summary of the previous meeting in November, Lourdes Cardona stated that the Government “considers the nautical sector as strategic because of its potential for growth and job creation”, while César Pacheco declared that “we have to make a plan for a short, medium and long term to progress with all the planned proposals”. 

Dossier in Spanish of the conclusions of the Nautical Sector Working Group. Please contact secretaria@aenb.es if you need a translation. 

The complete article in Ultima Hora.

The new Board of Directors of AENB.

During the last few months AENB went through the steps of the electoral process to form the new Board of Directors. Given that only one candidature was presented, fulfilling all the precepts of the statutes, this candidature was automatically chosen. Below you have the profiles of the persons who form the new team. They all have an extensive nautical trajectory and they are keen to continue fighting for the sector and for the benefit of all our associates. 

Chairman 

Margarita Dahlberg - DAHLBERG S.A. 

Career: A technician specialized in electronics, Administrator of Dahlberg S.A, together with her sister Rosa. Company founded by their father in 1961. After a generational change-over in 1984 the company became a market leader in its field, dedicating itself to supply, design, installation and technical service of nautical telecommunications and sanitary systems. President of the Association of the Balearic Nautical Enterprises from 1999, Secretary of FENIB and of CMIB. Hobbies: Passionate about the sea and watersports. Active member of various associations. 

1st Vice-chairman

Jaume Vaquer - JAUME VERMELL NAUTICA S.L. 

Career: Third generation director since 1993 of the company based in Porto Cristo that dedicates itself to new and second hand boat sales, consultation, after sales service and auxiliary services like preparation, wintering, maintenance, repair and restoration. 

2nd Vice-chairman 

Diane Franklin - E CUBED SYSTEMS S.L. 

Career: Double graduate in Business Studies and Spanish Filology from Leeds University Business School (BA Joint Honours). Marketing Manager at e3 Systems, a market leader in nautical electronics specialized in communication systems for superyachts. Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, EU Working Group, Board of AENB, Board of AEGY. Hobbies: Loves the sea, live-aboard on a 12 meter sailing yacht during 8 years. 

Treasurer 

Pedro Palou - INTELIGENCIA DE GESTION NAUTICA S.L. 

Career: Economy graduate from the University of the Balearic Islands and a Harbour Master from North West Kent College. Employed for 10 10 years in various positions in the Public Administration. Responsible of marketing of the Balearics Ports for 6 years. Director of his own company. Hobbies: Passionate about the sea and water sports. 

Secretary 

Tina Campins - NAUTICA ROSSELLO S.L. 

Career: Certified degree in Business studies at the University of the Balearic Islands with a specialty in Accounting and Finances. Various courses in business management and administration, finances, accounting, marketing and information technology. Representative, head of the administration, director, commercial, purchase, sales, accounting, human resources etc. of the family company founded in 1995, specialized in chandlery, storage, wintering and mechanics. Hobbies: active member of various associations 

Annual General Meeting 2013 – a participation success.

On the 21st of February the Annual General Meeting of AENB and the 6th edition of the nautical awards ceremony took place. Around hundred participants between associates, nautical entrepreneurs and the representatives of the Balearic Government turned up for the occasion. Náutica Rossello received the award for “The Most Oustanding Trajectory”, Metalnox for “The Longest Membership” and the Direction General of the Commerce and Business was recognized as “The Most Collaborating Public Entity in 2012”. 

Round of talks.

At 16.30 the rounds of talks started. On one side Carlos Sanlorenzo from ANEN outlined the spanish Law of Navigation and VAT related issues, while David Gomez went through with the english speaking members the principal challenges AENB faces in the future. The eagerly awaited ´Speed planning´by Pere Jiménez from IDI rounded up the talks. 

Letter from the President - March 2013.

Dear Associates, 

Just over a week ago the Annual General Meeting of AENB took place. It was a memorable event between great entrepreneurs and good friends. I think we should be proud that in the depths of the darkest crisis we are able to stay united. Our union was more than evident on the 21st of February and shows our strength in the face of adversity. 

As I mentioned in my speech, we are going on the fifth year of the worst crisis of our generation, a crisis that punishes the whole nautical business network and causes suffering in equal amounts for the small nautical shops in Porto Cristo as well as the big refit companies in Palma. All of them our associates, all of them equally important. The passion for our work is the force that keeps us afloat and makes us continue forward. 

For this reason I dedícated a few words of recognition to various generations of entrepreneurs that carry the love of the sea in their DNA and who fight day by day to ride out this storm. Companies like Náutica Rossello and Metalnox that we had the honour to pay tribute to. 

Balearics is one of the most beautiful destinations of the whole of the Mediterranean to practice recreational yachting and we offer a varied supply of nautical products and services of quality. Our companies, many of them family businesses, are formed by good and experienced professionals. 

But little does it serve us to be the best if the public administrations continue to hinder us with fiscal and bureaucratic obstacles. The taxation we suffer, one of the most reactionary in the whole of Europe, takes the edge of our competitiveness and scares our clients away to other destinations, cheaper and of less quality, but where they don´t have to fight with the obstacles we have here.