The Ocean Technology Workshop series: the importance of offering technical training to equipment users

During the third week of October 2004 a non-profit trade association, Marine and Oceanographic Technology Network (MOTN), along with it partners and sponsors will gather marine technology business leaders in Newport, Rhode Island to provide hands-on training and at-sea equipment demonstrations on their latest products and services. The 4th Ocean Technology Workshop will offer equipment operators and buyers a unique opportunity to use the equipment and see how the products perform in the marine environment. There will be a particular focus on technologies for port and harbor security. Oceanographers, coastal and offshore surveyors, marine operations managers, field technicians, government officials in charge of purchasing equipment, oil exploration personnel, port and harbor security personnel concerned with underwater threats, search and survey personnel and program managers will benefit from seeing these products in action both on land and at sea. Offering these hands on training workshops has been an extremely effective way for technology-based companies to solidify their existing customer base as well as attract new, very serious customers. The three previous workshops have enabled equipment users to get up to speed on the latest technology in a very short period of time. This paper will discuss the background of MOTN's Ocean Technology Workshops (OTW). It will outline how they have grown and improved over the years. It will also provide an overview of the upcoming event in Newport, RI and discuss how training companies and attendees can benefit by participating.