News
DEMA Show 2014 Registration Is Now Open

DEMA Show’s online Attendee registration system is now open to qualified Dive Industry professionals seeking to take control of their career and their business. Join thousands of Attendees from all over the world for the Industry’s only trade-only event for the Dive Industry, taking place November 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. To register, visit the official DEMA Show website, an invaluable resource for all Exhibitors and Attendees. The site currently features everything from Show registration guidelines and an interactive floorplan to Official Hotel Block information and an overview of DEMA Show Features.
DEMA Show 2014 currently offers three different registration options for those planning to attend the Show: Exhibits Only Registration, the Seminar Package and the Saturday-Only Immersion Pass. Each package varies in price and opportunities. You can view complete details on each by visiting the DEMA Show website. 2014 DEMA Members can save up to $125 on their DEMA Show registration package over the non-member rate when registering on or before the early registration deadline of October 17th.
DEMA Show will feature the Las Vegas Hotel (LVH), formerly the Las Vegas Hilton, as this year’s Host Hotel. The Las Vegas Hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center – home to DEMA Show 2014. Those Attendees and Exhibitors booking in DEMA’s hotel block at the LVH will have access to exclusive savings and benefits including complimentary shuttle access to and from DEMA Show 2014. Room rates are as follows:
· $95 Single/Double for the following nights: November 13-25, 2014*
*Must be booked by October 17, 2014 in order to receive this exclusive DEMA Show rate. Based upon availability.
Additionally, DEMA Show registrants who are planning to arrive early in Las Vegas, or stay after the Show concludes have access to a special Early Bird Discount on “pre” and “post” show dates when they book their rooms in the official DEMA Show block by August 11, 2014. These special discounted rates are based on availability as follows:
· $49 Single/Double for the following nights: November 13-17 and 23-25, 2014.**
· $95 Single/Double for the following nights: November 18-22, 2104.**
**Must be booked by August 11, 2014 in order to receive this special discounted rate. Based upon availability.
Complimentary shuttle bus service for those booking within the DEMA Show Hotel Block will be provided to and from the North Hall during Show dates.
You can register right now by clicking here. Stay tuned to the DEMA Show website for the latest details on DEMA and Exhibitor-Sponsored Seminars, Show-related activities, DEMA Awards Party and other information as the Show approaches. To have DEMA Show news delivered directly to your email, Exhibitors should subscribe to the Show’s Exhibitor Companion and Attendees are encouraged to subscribe to DEMA’s DEMAIL for important Show information, announcements and Industry news.
The annual DEMA Show, the largest trade-only event in the world for companies doing business in the scuba diving, ocean water sports and adventure/dive travel industries, attracts hundreds of Exhibitors and thousands of dive and travel Industry professionals from around the world. In addition to providing an arena in which to conduct business and network, DEMA Show offers participants the most extensive education curriculum in the Industry including DEMA-Sponsored Seminars and Exhibitor-Sponsored Seminars from participating manufacturers, travel destinations and dive certification organizations. DEMA Show is produced by DEMA, The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association. DEMA Show 2014 will take place November 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information visit www.DEMAShow.com, the official DEMA Show Facebook page, and follow DEMA Show on Twitter.
News article courtesy of www.divenewswire.com.
Marine Life & Conservation
PADI partners with global skincare brand Medik8

PADI®’s global non-profit the AWARE Foundation™ is teaming up with leading sustainability-focused skincare brand Medik8 to save our most critical ecosystem on the planet – the ocean.
As the new corporate sponsor of the PADI AWARE Foundation’s 2023 Community Grant Programme, Medik8 will be supporting four grassroots conservation projects that range from protecting megafauna like turtles and whales from entanglement to fuelling hands-on citizen science initiatives like seagrass restoration.
The PADI AWARE Community Grant Programme is designed to award ocean protection initiatives that are in direct support of the United Nations Decade of Science for Sustainable Development in five distinct categories: coral restoration, developing marine protected areas, eliminating marine debris, reducing the effects of climate change, and protecting species threatened with extinction like sharks and turtles. In 2022 PADI AWARE™ dedicated nearly one-quarter of its public funds to empower local communities to take action for our shared blue planet.
“Last year we launched the Grant Programme to directly support PADI Members and NGOs driving meaningful conservation projects, often who have little or no funding support,” says Danna Moore, PADI AWARE Foundation’s Global Director. “This year, due to the collaboration with Medik8, we can provide more resources directly to local communities that need them most. Medik8 is a like-minded organisation that shares our science-based, sustainability-driven, and community-oriented values – and will be a strong partner committed to helping us create positive ocean change.”
Medik8’s support of the PADI AWARE Community Grants programme is in line with their ethos of making a positive impact through driving sustainability strategies with everything they do – from reducing carbon impact and waste to investing in being an ethical business with direct social investments. Their connection and deep love for the ocean is rooted in Medik8’s founder Elliot Isaacs, who is a PADI Master Scuba Diver™.
“As a brand, we strongly believe that increased social investment will allow us to make a more significant mark on wider society,” says Alexandra Florea, Head of Sustainability at Medik8. “Working with grassroots organisations who understand exactly what is needed on the ground will mean we can generate the greatest impact. We chose PADI as our long-term charitable partner because, like us, they put science at the heart of everything they do to bring about positive results.”
The PADI AWARE Grantee projects Medik8 is sponsoring fuel the impact of local citizen science initiatives driving global change like Kosamare Seagrass Restoration in Greece, a grant recipient from 2022 and now 2023. The other three grantee projects have also been selected and range from marine debris removal to climate change mitigation – and are set to be announced in the coming months.
The PADI AWARE Community Grant programme is open to all PADI Dive Centres around the world, along with locally-based NGOs and charities working on marine conservation issues that operate on a budget below $1 Million USD.
“With incredible partners like Medik8 who are equally committed to creating positive ocean change, a swell of hope for our shared blue planet is becoming stronger with every project we support – further proving that the ripples from local action really do have a global impact for us all,” says Moore.
The next round of proposal submissions is on 4 April 2023, with more information at www.padi.com/aware/grant-funding-criteria.
News
Diving with… Ben Williams and Kay Van Leuven, Sunchaser Scuba, British Virgin Islands

In this ongoing series, we speak to the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
Ben Williams and Kay Van Leuven
What is the name of your business?
Sunchaser Scuba
What is your role within the business?
Owner/operator
How long has the business operated for?
32 years in total and we have been here since 2010, working for the previous owner, then bought the current company from him starting in 2015.
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
Ben since 2003 and he is a PADI MSDT and SDI instructor
Kay since 2010 and she is a PADI MSDT and SDI instructor
What is your favorite type of diving?
Ben loves pinnacle dives; Kay loves shallow coral dives
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you, what would it be?
We offer valet diving for a trip of your lifetime. Personal service is key in our business, together with small groups.
What is your favourite dive in your location and why?
Ben favorite dive is the Invisibles because of the amount of marine life; Kay favorite dive is the wreck of the Rhone, because of it’s historical value, marine life and the amount of coral growth on it.
What types of diving are available in your location?
We offer reef and wreck diving, rendez vous diving with your charter boat so we can pick you up straight off your boat.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
Being able to dive every day and show the underwater world of the BVI
What is your favorite underwater creature?
Ben’s favorite is sharks and for Kay it is dolphins.
As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?
Ever rising supplier prices.
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
Yes, we do treatment for STCLD, shark sightings and beach clean ups
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
The hotel we work out of is still recovering from the 2017 hurricane so more places to stay will be coming along in the future. We have an amazing local non profit called Beyond The Reef in the BVI who are always making new artificial reefs.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
We feel it is a great industry and it is very rewarding being able to teach people to dive and therefore increase awareness. One of the biggest changes that would be great to change is to be able to make things cheaper so it is more accessible to our local kids/divers and therefore increase the number of divers in our local community.
Finally, what would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
The BVI is very underrated and untouched, making it a great destination for both novice and
experienced divers.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
www.sunchaserscuba.com
info@sunchaserscuba.com
+12833442766
https://www.instagram.com/sunchaser_scuba/
https://www.facebook.com/sunchaserscuba/
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