Over 90 volunteer leaders, including 16 out of the 17 Sections and 36 out of the 37 Student Sections, including the Student Steering Committee came together for a weekend at the Hotel Derek in Houston, Texas for the 2014 Chair Elect Seminar, Student Chair Elect Seminar, Council, and Executive Committee Meeting. SNAME is all around the world...SNAME is everywhere!
Planet Ocean
We live on a planet that we mistakenly call “Earth”, but I have it on good authority that Martians and other space aliens call it “Planet Ocean”
~ 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water
~ 80% of the world’s population lives within 200 km of the coast
~ 90% of the world’s trade volume moves by sea
~ 100% of life as we know it depends on water
Oceans connecting People
• Some may think that the oceans separate us when in fact the Oceans connect us.
• And that’s why we, as maritime and ocean professionals, are amongst the most important people on this planet.
SNAME Sections
• SNAME is first and foremost a forum for individual professionals to exchange ideas and knowledge. We are a people-centric organization
• Our volunteer-run Sections are critically important in fulfilling our Society’s mission by
• Providing regular meeting places for networking and the exchange of information and knowledge.
• Producing papers and presentation which expand our SNAME database of useful knowledge
• Being the principal avenue for recruiting of new members and retaining existing members
• Being “engines of ingenuity” in developing new activities and opportunities for our members
More details and updates to follow.
Examples of Innovation at Section Level
• World Class Chesapeake Sailing Yacht Symposia and Chesapeake Motorboat Symposia, run by SNAME Chesapeake Section.
• Leading international symposium on ships and structures in ice, IceTechseries, has been run by our smallest section (Arctic -29 members) for a quarter of a century.
• Annual Offshore Symposium –Texas Section • Mentor-for-a-Dayprogram developed by Texas Section and run at OTC each year.
• STEM students participating in our annual technical meetings –PNW and Texas Sections
• Young Professional Groups active in several Sections
The Biggest Challenge in our Profession is People
• We need to continue to attract new talent into our professional field.
• Today it is increasing challenging to attract young people, even those who may have science, technology, engineering and mathematic, STEM , inclinations, into the “traditional” engineering versus work in robotics, nano-technology or outer space developments
• There is a misperception that there is little scope for creativity and innovation in the “old marine industries”. • Nothing could be further from the truth in the marine and offshore world. Let me explain….
See link to the "SNAME - All Over the World"
More materials, presentations, and photos to follow.....