Australian Superyacht Conference 2025 confirms impressive speaker line-up and program highlights
by AIMEX 1 May 2025 21:54 PDT
19-21 May 2025
Compelling presentations and panels - ASMEX Conference 2024 © Salty Dingo
The Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX), together with Superyacht Australia has confirmed an impressive lineup of international and Australian speakers for the Australian Superyacht Conference (ASMEX) 2025, to be held from Monday 19 May to Wednesday 21 May 2025 at The Langham Gold Coast, Queensland.
This year's speaker program showcases some of the world's leading minds in superyacht building, marine innovation, digital marketing and AI sectors, bringing together the brightest minds and leading voices shaping the future of the global superyacht and marine industries.
International Keynote Speaker Vasco Buonpensiere, Co-Founder and CEO of Cantiere delle Marche (CdM), will delve into his decades of experience in the marine industry, delivering a presentation on The Rise of the Explorer Yachts. Having positioned CdM as a world leader in the construction of long-range explorer yachts, Vasco's deep knowledge of market trends and client expectations offers valuable insight into the growing demand for these vessels, driven by a new generation of adventurous yacht owners.
On home soil, Steve Quigley, Managing Director at One2Three Naval Architects, and Chris Blackwell, Sales and Marketing Manager at Echo Marine Group, will present a Q&A session sharing intimate insights into the world's largest sailing superyacht catamaran, currently being built in Australia. Steve, a leader in aluminium multihull design with nearly four decades of experience, and Chris, Chairman of Superyacht Australia, will explore the design, engineering, and project management excellence behind this groundbreaking project.
Also joining the conference is International Speaker Louise De New, Account Director at BOATPro by BOAT International. Leading one of the world's most respected sources of superyacht intelligence and named as one of Media Week's Most Influential People, Louise will present The State of the International Superyacht Market 2025, sharing the latest insights and forecasts shaping the global superyacht industry.
Adding to the international speaker roster is Ben Taylor, global marketing strategist and host of The Ben Taylor Podcast. Ben will deliver a session Building Trust Online: Marketing Success in the International Marine Landscape, breaking down how digital marketing is reshaping engagement and growth strategies in the luxury marine space.
In a forward-looking discussion on artificial intelligence, Kristina Agustin, Founder of Southern Sky AI, and Emma Crichton, CEO APAC of Autogen AI, will join forces to explore the opportunities AI is bringing to marine and superyacht industry leaders. Kristina applies AI-driven strategies to streamline maritime business operations and regulatory compliance, while Emma has spent over 35 years transforming bid and procurement processes through AI, leading Autogen AI's rapid growth across the Asia-Pacific region.
Matthew Walford, Area Manager for Australia and New Zealand at Benetti Yachts will draw on his 20 years' experience spanning new builds, brokerage, and refits, offering valuable insights into how Benetti is leading the way in custom steel yacht innovation, through his presentation, Forging the Future of Custom Yachting in Steel Among Innovation, Design and Sustainability.
Nicola Pomi, Vice President Yacht & Superyacht Division at Volvo Penta, and William Bratt, Director of Marine Sales & Marketing for Volvo Penta Oceania, will present on how the Volvo Penta IPS Drive is redefining marine performance, efficiency and sustainability. With Australia consuming more than 10% of all IPS drives manufactured this is a must-see presentation.
Rounding out the speaker program, Mark Hillebrand, Chief Marketing Officer and Matt Levy, Head of Talent and People, will share CellAED's cutting-edge marine innovation that is saving lives in sudden cardiac arrest. Whilst long standing Conference Speaker Peter Munckton, Chief Economist, Bank of Queensland, will offer an expert economic overview providing valuable context to help businesses steer confidently through the economy in an uncertain world.
David Good, CEO of Superyacht Australia will review the state of the Australian Superyacht Industry, offering the latest superyacht visitation figures in Australia, as well as provide insights on future growth trends within the industry.
Presented by the Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX) and Superyacht Australia, the 2025 Australian Superyacht Conference promises an exceptional opportunity to hear from international leaders, gain insights into the latest innovations, and connect with peers shaping the future of the superyacht and marine industries.