The 2020 conference calendar lies in ruins. Just about any in-person industry event scheduled before August has been canceled or postponed. And, as uncertainty reigns, the rest look sure to follow suit. These are unprecedented times for the ocean industries. Gone are the dockside demos, award ceremonies, and gala dinners; instead, we find ourselves anchored to our screens and reevaluating our marketing strategy.

And it’s during this recalibration of efforts that it dawns on us, just how important these conferences are: They give clear deadlines for product launches and strategic company announcements; they provide us with fertile ground for networking, for connecting with business associates old and new; they encourage a forum for knowledge expansion and industry-critical problem solving; and, ultimately, they render an essential panoramic of market conditions, horizons from which to seize opportunity.

We are all adjusting to new ways of working and that change is disruptive, but it cannot paralyze us as an industry. We have too much to share. The number of sell-out conferences on our regular roster is testament to that, if nothing else.

So, what now? What do we do in a world without conferences?

Futures Made of Virtual Reality

In the wake of COVID-19, some conferences have decided to reshuffle resources towards hosting online gatherings. Virtual events are nothing new, of course, but naturally struggle to create intimacy. But in the age of physical distancing and PPE as standard business attire, there is increasing interest.

I recently “attended” the International Partnering Forum (IPF), one of the first international events to commit to an online format. Organized by the Business Network for Offshore Wind and originally scheduled for April in Rhode Island, the conference was divided into a “Virtual” agenda (in April) and a “Together” line-up in August. (As the COVID-19 crisis deepens, it has now moved to a virtual only format over the coming months.) The Virtual panels provided compelling content and high caliber speakers, but it’s a tall order to capture the verve of IPF proper online.

Recreating the magic of an exhibition hall will be the next challenge for event organizers. Easier said than done, but this might just be the key to establishing an increasingly hybrid approach to conferences. After all, in a digital world, are we over reliant on face-to-face event attendance?

Getting Content Published Now

Podcasts, webinars, virtual meet-and-greets are increasingly the norm, and the quality of these may help transition a “new normal” into a more established means of conducting business over the coming months.

That is certainly our view at TSC. While we long to meet friends, colleagues and partners in person, we recognize that as fast-paced as our industry is, we have a duty to create new and engaging platforms that cater for stormy seas. That’s why our flagship publication, Ocean News & Technology is launching a new podcast, SeaState, in June.

There are, though, other ways we can help keep your company news top of mind as this conference hiatus continues.

1. Send your press releases to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.: Once approved by our editorial team, it will be posted to our website and may be featured in ON&T’s weekly newsletter.
2. Consider a Product Spotlight: Our editorial team is always looking for groundbreaking technology to feature in our magazines. To find out more, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
3. Collaborate with us on a Feature Package: This 2- or 4-page print feature is an in-depth company/product profile accompanied by images, infographics, etc. In addition, all features have top billing on our website and our social media channels.

Ocean News & Technology (ON&T), a leading trade publication for the ocean and offshore industries, today revealed plans to launch SeaState, a monthly podcast dedicated to understanding emerging trends in ocean technology, as well as discussing pioneering research, industry challenges, and prospects for the future.

SeaState’s first podcast, scheduled for broadcast in June, will welcome the Director of the Center for Marine Robotics at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dr. Jim Bellingham. Dr. Bellingham will discuss unmanned vehicle technology and how AUV technology could assist NASA in the future exploration of new planets. July and August boast equally formidable guests, namely Dr. Larry Mayer, a pioneer of ocean mapping technology, and Marty Klein, better known as the father of side scan sonar.

“SeaState is an exciting, must-hear journey into thought leadership,” said Ed Freeman, ON&T editor. “As a leading industry publication, we recognize the growing appetite for on-the-go content and know that the caliber of our guests will make for captivating listening.”

The podcast series will be hosted by Rhonda J. Moniz, a highly accomplished journalist and filmmaker with extensive experience of the ocean industry. “Rhonda is the perfect host for SeaState, she has over 25 years of working in the industry and understands ON&T’s readership,” said Jessie Lewis, Director of Operations at TSC Strategic.

To find out more about SeaState or sponsorship opportunities, contact one of our representatives today https://www.oceannews.com/advertise

TSC Strategic announced a new market study that forecasts revenues of $3 billion from global ASV sales by 2024. The report, Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Market Summary and Forecast, 2020-2024, suggests that the rapid pace of blue tech development is one of the key drivers of this emerging multi-billion-dollar industry, as is the increasing adoption of unmanned systems for military application.

“While the economic outlook amid the COVID-19 pandemic is far from certain, the ASV industry is somewhat insulated by the fact that the significant majority of demand will come from defense markets over the coming years,” according to Jessica Lewis, Director of Operations. “Spending by the armed forces is a critical component of this forecast and nations with the most military might – those with the greatest interest in developing ASVs – are unlikely to see large budget cuts.”

The report, which as well as offering a comprehensive market overview presents a five-year demand forecast year by year, goes beyond the defense markets to incorporate ASVs for scientific and commercial application. While the market remains in its infancy, mainstream usage (prototyping to production), new production contracts (measurable demand), and new or expanded production facilities, mergers and acquisitions, all suggest that this market has a prosperous future.

We are enormously proud of our editorial heritage here at ON&T, a legacy that stems four decades of partnership with the ocean and offshore community to bring you, our readers, essential industry news and intelligence.

To further our efforts in 2020, we have been busy strengthening our editorial team and welcome Ed Freeman to the editorial helm (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We have some exciting plans for the rest year, including some high-caliber guest editors and contributors, but for now, in terms of providing you with editorial and media support in this disruptive time, it is business and usual.

If there was ever a time to join a professional society, it’s now. Already a member? Use this time to renew. Remember, many of these associations offer organizational memberships, so that multiple team members can benefit.

You may ask, why join now if they are postponing conferences? In short conferences are only one tool in the box. Many professional associations have exclusive, members-only resources that can assist with networking, education, opportunities, and advocacy.

The following is a list of professional societies relevant to our readership. Each name links to the main website for the listed organization.

 

 

A

 

Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS)

American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE)

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA)

American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC)

American Boatbuilders and Repairers Association (ABRA)

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)

American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC)

American Fisheries Society (AFS)

American Gas Association (AGA)

American Geographical Society (AGS)

American Geological Institute (AGI)

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

American Institute of Chemists (AIC)

American Institute of Hydrology (AIH)

American Institute of Mining Metallurgical & Petroleum Engineers (AIME)

American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG)

American Maritime Congress (AMC)

American Maritime Officers (AMO)

American Meteorological Society (AMS)

American Petroleum Institute (API)

American Public Works Association (APWA)

American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA)

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

American Society of Certified Engineering Technicians (ASCET)

American Society of Engineering Management (ASEM)

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE)

American Society of Petroleum Operating Engineers (ASPOE)

American Water Resources Association (AWRA)

American Waterways Operators (AWO)

American Welding Society (AWS)

Aquacultural Engineering Society (AES)

Association of Commercial Diving Educators (ACDE)

Association of Diving Contractors (ADCI)

Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG)

Association of Exploration Geochemists (AEG)

 

C

Coastal Society (TCS)

Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE)

 

D

Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA)

Dredging Contractors of America (DCA)

 

E

Ecological Society of America (ESA)

Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA)

Electronics Technicians Association International (ETA-I)

Estuarine Research Federation (ERF)

 

G

Geological Society of America (GSA)

 

H

Hydrographic Society of America (THSOA)

 

I

IEEE Ocean Engineering Society (IEEE)

Industrial Safety Equipment Association (ISEA)

Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals (IRPT)

Institute of Navigation (ION)

International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)

International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC)

International Association of Marine Consultants and Surveyors (IAMCS)

International Navigation Association (PIANC)

International Oceanographic Foundation (IOF)

International Ocean Science & Technology Industry Association (IOSTIA) 

International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P)

International Society of Automation (ISA)

International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET)

International Technology and Engineer Education Association (ITEEA)

 

L

Lake Carriers Association (LCA)

 

M

Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA)

Marine Firemen's Union (MFU)

Marine Technology Society (MTS)

Minerals Metals and Materials Society (TMS)

 

N

National Aquaculture Association (NAA)

National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)

National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP)

National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML)

National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS)

National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI)

National Drilling Association (NDA)

National Electric Contractors Association (NECA)

National Fisheries Institute (NFI)

National Marine Educators Association (NMEA)

National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA)

National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

National Shellfisheries Association (NSA)

 

O

Oceanic Society (OS)

 

Oceanography Society (TOS)

Offshore Marine Service Association(OMSA)

 

P

Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association (PESA)

Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC)

 

S

Sailors' Union of the Pacific (SUP)

Seafarers International Union (SIU)

Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA)

Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration (SMME)

Society for Underwater Exploration (SUE)

Society of Marine Port Engineers (SMPE)

Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA)

 

T

Transportation Institute (TI)

 

U

Underwater Society of America (USOA)

 

W

Water Environment Federation (WEF)

Waterkeeper Alliance (WA)

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI)

Welding Research Council (WRC)

World Aquaculture Society (WAS)

World Underwater Association (CMAS)

World Ocean Council (WOC)

ECO Magazine (Environment, Coastal and Offshore) announced the latest addition to its 2020 digital series: a special issue dedicated to Deep Sea research. The Deep Sea Special Issue will be produced in partnership with the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

The emergence of ocean robotics has paved the way for a new era of deep-sea discovery. A frontier that was once remote, harsh and inaccessible is opening up to the global ocean community, with every expedition revealing new species and habitats that reshape our understanding of the ocean’s depths.

“Most people don’t think about the bottom of the ocean. When you look at a map, the ocean is portrayed as flat blue with very few features,” said Schmidt Ocean Institute co-founder Wendy Schmidt. “However, this couldn’t be further from what the ocean floor looks like. Picture huge mountains and canyons, exotic hydrothermal vent forests and unique conditions that mimic other planets. There are still so many things we do not know about the topography or the ecosystems that cover the largest part of our earth. “

Available in November 2020, this exclusive edition will highlight the latest international research, groundbreaking expeditions, opportunities in science and industry, and developments in innovative deep-sea robots, vehicles and sensors.

“Our Deep Sea Special Issue joins a series of unique digital editions in 2020 that offer the global research community a unique platform to celebrate scientific progress and identify opportunities for collaboration,” said Kira Coley, ECO Magazine’s senior editor. “For this issue, we are thrilled to be partnering with two leading institutes in deep sea science, technology and exploration.”

These digital-only editions are important multimedia resources for the ocean community and highlight the current status of vital research topics, increase awareness of key issues, help to identify gaps in knowledge and enable collaboration between academia, government and industry.

Professor Douglas Connelly Associate Director for Research at the NOC, commented, “We’re pleased to partner with ECO magazine to promote research in the deep ocean. The deep-sea is home to a diverse community of life, as well as being an important player in mitigating the impacts of climate change, driving changes in the weather and climate, and being a source of the rare earth minerals vital for green technology.” “The NOC’s broad ranging deep-sea research is vital for informing decisions about addressing these key environmental challenges facing people and the planet.”

For more information about submitting a story to the Deep Sea Special Issue and for editorial guidelines, contact Kira Coley at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A special note

ECO Magazine’s special issues are made possible thanks to sponsorship contributions from ocean science institutes and industry members. Sponsorships packages are available for parties interested in supporting the series’ important messages. For information about sponsorship packages, contact one of our experienced account managers:

Lisa Chilik, Account Manager (US & Canada) – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mimi King, Account Manager (Europe & ROW) – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Advances in technology and digital communication have forever changed the modern marketing landscape. With change comes opportunity, and companies today are increasingly spoiled for media options, all of which cater for an ever-diversifying range of ways that we, as consumers, engage with promotional material.

This diversity demands that companies make important choices as they seek to interact with their target audience(s). One of the more reoccurring quandaries in recent decades has been how to proportion off- and online media spend. While some industries have been quick to employ a multi-channel approach to media planning, adoption of a more integrated mix—one that fully utilizes digital platforms—has been sluggish among the ocean and offshore industries.

Employing a multimedia philosophy

However, when you think about it, most companies are already predispositioned to a multimedia philosophy– just consider any contemporary website. Web design, and all the UI/UX design considerations that it encompasses, is dependent on images, videos, infographics, and often print (for downable assets and tech sheets, for example)—each medium allows users to engage with pertinent information, with the ultimate goal of enticing further interaction.

Marketing campaigns need to follow suit and embrace a media mix that understands its primary targets and influences their buyer behavior in accordance with a planned sales cycle. In doing so, marketers accept that we, as buyers, all interact with content in different ways. We consume information differently; some prefer the written word, some audio, while others video – it is personal inclination. So, to adopt a singular approach to media—unless you are marketing to a very homogenous group of buyers— is restrictive at best.

Brand Credibility in a Digital Age

Digital advertising has become a gamechanger in the 21st century: it’s cost-effective, highly targeted, and suits our handheld lifestyles. But it has limitations. First and foremost, it isn’t print. The intent here is not to dive into the ongoing spat between print and digital advertising (read more here: Fighting For Our Attention), but rather point out one of the growing challenges for digital marketing: establishing brand credibility, something imperative in the ocean and offshore industries, where trust and assurance are key attributes of any product or service. This is where print and other more traditional above-the-line media channels continue to pull rank.

Here at TSC Strategic we are always looking for new and interactive ways to help clients bolster their brand architecture—and credibility—online, by connecting audiences with multifaceted content. We have over four decades of editorial expertise, and what’s become clear over time is that companies have plenty to say, not just promote. One area of growing importance in this new decade is thought leadership, and this has been central consideration for our print and digital publications in helping our clients strengthen their voice and heighten their visibility. One such multimedia platform is Offshore Source, which throughout 2020 is inviting companies to co-author extended features about the future of the ocean and offshore industries. The online WebExclusive can support digital assets—images, videos, downloads, etc.—and even comes with a paid social media campaign built into the overall cost.

As technology advances and consumer preferences change, marketing campaigns will, as they always do, adjust accordingly. Online editorial features, which provide a perspective that takes readers beyond the news, is just one example of how we aim to help clients do so.

“Information overload” was a popular term back in the late 90s/early 00s, when the Internet, with information just a click away, looked sure to drown us in detail. Fortunately, though, the expression soon fell out of use as we began to realize the non-threatening nature of data. Humans, as it turns out, are quite willing and able to swim in data; we simply filter out what doesn’t fit our daily lives.

Our brains are less buoyant, however, when it comes to the systematic organization and interpretation of raw data. This poses a problem in the modern world, as data can only become an asset—and ultimately inform decisions—when it can be analyzed precisely and consistently. And those decisions are often critical to the future marketing of the ocean and offshore industries.

Plane Thinking: Lessons from the Past

The challenges associated with understanding—and more accurately misunderstanding—data are not exclusively symptomatic of the information age. During World War II, the U.S. Navy began to study the durability of its aircraft fleet. Planes were meticulously inspected after deployment, and any damage was duly noted. The data compiled showed that the wings and central fuselage suffered the significant majority of damage. So, logically, the Navy assumed that greater armor was needed to fortify these targeted areas. Until, that is, a civilian mathematician pointed out a glaring flaw in the study: The Navy was only looking at aircraft that survived combat. In other words, the sample failed to account for the aircraft that suffered blows to the engines and forward fuselage and which, subsequently, didn’t make it back from their mission. In short, the data set was not representative, so how could the conclusions be? This story is featured in Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed.

Making Sense of Data: Some Tips

Much of what we do at TSC Strategic relates to collecting, organizing and synthesizing data. Despite the absolute nature of data, using it to guide strategic planning is less apparent. Here, some of our market intelligence analysts offer a few pointers for how best to approach data capture and interpretation:

1. Carefully consider what data you need to collect. Then stop and think about it again. In the case above, the U.S. Navy’s data collection was driven by what data was available for collection. Downed aircraft were initially overlooked, which led to what would have been a fatally erroneous conclusion.
2. Never limit your horizons when it comes to data collection. John Manock, editor of SubCableWorld.com, always insists that data can come from unexpected sources. Once, when interviewing Keith Olsen, CEO of data center operator vXchnge, he was told: “if you want to know where new telecom infrastructure would be needed, follow the trade routes.” The correlation between submarine cable building and expanding trade routes has brought a whole new dimension to our subsea market intelligence.
3. Develop a methodology – the rules that will govern data analysis. Remember: no methodology is carved in stone. That may have been the case once, but in today’s digital world the landscape is always changing. Don’t be afraid to modify the approach.
4. Methodology should be consistent. Be flexible and willing to modify the methodology, yes, but you don’t want to alter the underlying principles unless they are disproven. A consistent methodology is the key to understanding long-term trends and patterns. With marine mining, for example, you can add new sources of data, but the most fundamental part of the methodology – measuring emerging demand for a nascent industry – remains the same. When studying a market over a multiyear period, consistency is imperative.
5. Don’t be afraid to admit mistakes. Balance the need for consistency with objectivity when it comes to the performance of the methodology. Mr. Syed’s book, referenced above, has a telling subtitle: “Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes—But Some Do.” Learning from mistakes is an important part of information analysis.
6. Make sure the end-users of the data fully understand the methodology. This can be challenging (explaining the methodology of a project can be cumbersome), but people need to understand from where the conclusions are drawn.
7. Be prepared to source your data. This is undoubtedly one of the most important factors, but in many cases, people forget that they need to cite where their data originated or risk losing all credibility. Sourcing data is about as exciting as watching grass grow. In fact, it’s worse – it’s painful. But you have to be prepared to have your data challenged. You’ll notice that the U.S. Navy story above is sourced, twice. Make this a habit.

The analysis of data is not only fascinating, it has become a business-critical skill in the information age. As the ocean and offshore industries continue to harvest vast swathes of data, our abilities to unlock its potential as a strategic marketing asset will prove fundamental to advising clients and producing essential market intelligence reports.

As conferences are postponed throughout the world in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, we are reminded of just how important these meetings are to the ocean and offshore industries, both in terms of the networking opportunities and the important spotlights they provide for product launches and company announcements. As media partners, we know that organizing committees have had to make difficult decisions, but necessary ones. And we will continue to work with them to adapt to these times of uncertainty.

We would like to extend the same support to our many advertising partners old and new and ensure you that we are on hand to help you manage your company news and announcements through our various media channels. Having covered the ocean and offshore industries for almost 40 years now, we know that 2020 will be disruptive but we also know that our resilient and creative community will always have critical news to share. Let TSC help.

ON&T and ECO Magazine:

ON&T is essential intelligence for ocean and marine-related industries. For nearly four decades, executive decision makers have relied on ON&T for the latest ocean industry news.

ECO is a marine science publication committed to bringing scientists and professionals the latest ground-breaking research, industry news, and job opportunities from around the world.

1. PRs: Be sure to send all your company press releases to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If approved by our editorial team, press releases will be posted to the website and possibly appear in the weekly newsletter.
2. Videos & Podcasts: We are happy to promote your message via video and podcast. This is an interesting way to profile your products digitally.
3. Product Spotlight: Our editorial team is always looking for groundbreaking technology to feature in our magazines. To find out more, contact your account manager today.
4. Feature Package: This 2-4-page print feature is a detailed company or product profile accompanied by images, infographics, and any other visuals you might like to include. In addition, all features have top billing on our website and our social media channels. Contact your account manager to find out more. Our flexible editorial team is available to develop content to suit your specific needs.

Offshore Source:

1. PRs: OffshoreSource.com provides news and data to the offshore industry. To include your company news, please send your latest press releases to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
2. Videos & Podcasts: Offshore Source is an ideal platform to accommodate video and podcast. This is an interesting way to profile your products digitally.
3. WebExclusives: OffshoreSource.com is publishing six editorial multimedia articles (WebExclusive) in 2020, each of which offers in-depth coverage and analysis of developments across the offshore industry. These digital features provide a unique way of promoting thought leadership in a new decade. Our editorial focus for 2020 centers around future trends in the offshore wind, ocean mining, and oil & gas industries. For more information, please contact one of our account managers.

SubCableWorld.com & OceanMiningIntel.com:

Our highly specialized digital platforms, SubCableWorld.com and OceanMiningIntel.com, welcome press releases from the submarine cable and ocean mining industries. Please send PR submissions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For further information, please contact Jessica Lewis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..