GNOBFA To Host 41st Annual Marine Industry Seminar April 9-11

The Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association (GNOBFA) will host its 41st annual Marine Industry Seminar in just over a month. As in years past, the GNOBFA seminar will take place at the InterContinental Hotel on St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans’ Central Business District.

Registration details are online at gnobfa.com/seminar. The early rate for registration goes through March 19, and the deadline to reserve a room at the Intercontinental at the group rate is March 11.

This year’s GNOBFA seminar will offer two and a half days packed with panel discussions and interactions with legal experts and representatives from state and federal agencies.

“The GNOBFA seminar is a dynamic and engaging experience that stands out in the marine and barge industry landscape,” said Fred Renoudet, a longtime GNOBFA board member who serves on the association’s seminar committee. “For more than 41 years, GNOBFA has cultivated a unique environment that fosters collaboration, interaction and meaningful engagement among industry professionals. This seminar is not merely a gathering of teachers instructing students, nor is it like generals addressing their troops. It is a dynamic and interactive event that brings together individuals from various backgrounds and ranks, all united by the common goal of learning and exchanging ideas.”

Interactions on stage and between speakers and attendees is a hallmark of every Marine Industry Seminar, and a lot of that is due to who’s there each year, Renoudet said.

“The seminar is a place where attendees can gain knowledge, share insights and be inspired to pursue positive change,” Renoudet said. “Whether you are a CEO, boat owner, manager, port captain, lawyer, dispatcher or insurance adjuster, this seminar offers a unique opportunity to grow and develop personally and professionally. The seminar experience often sparks ideas that continue to evolve and materialize long after the event.”

Following opening remarks from seminar leaders and a keynote address from Rear Adm. David Barata, commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District, the seminar will start with a “lightning round” discussion of recent case law affecting the maritime industry. The second session will focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other Coast Guard policies impacting the maritime transportation system. Panelists will include Rear Adm. Wayne Arguin, assistant commandant for prevention policy for the Coast Guard, Geoff Douglass, founder of Mythos AI, and Joe Bussenger, director of marine recovery operations for Relativity Space.

Other sessions on day one will look at charter agreements and liabilities associated with barge fleeting and terminal operations, with a networking reception to follow that night.

Day two will open with sessions focused on topics like maintenance and cure and appealing big verdicts and maritime contract clauses. A third session will look at infrastructure investments on the Lower Mississippi River and the growing complexity of the marine transportation system. That panel will feature Julia Fisher Cormier, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s Office of Multimodal Commerce, Cooper Consolidated’s Wendell Landry and Mike Ellis of Canvasback Investments LLC. Day two sessions will close with a two-hour discussion of Coast Guard regulations dealing with harassment and sexual harassment claims.

Day three will look at litigation scenarios related to hurricanes, high water, acts of God, force majeure, spills and cleanups, vessel casualties, etc., with the conference wrapping up by noon.

“GNOBFA seminars distinguish themselves through their engaging and participative format,” Renoudet said. “Yes, there are top-notch speakers on the platform, but there are also top-notch listeners—CEOs, managers, port captains, lawyers and insurance adjusters in the audience—all providing feedback, thus fueling the discussions. This year, more than in previous years, the informal presentation style will further enhance the interactive nature of the event. Participants will leave with newfound motivation and ideas, inspired to implement changes or adapt their current methods.”

GNOBFA accepts payment via credit card and check. The association also provides a booklet of background information for the sessions in both printed form and digitally. For more information, visit www.gnobfa.com or email gnobfa@gmail.com.