The Water, Sports & Travel Festival to be held at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center April 26-28, 2013, is pleased to announce the following associations have pledged to provide their support for the first annual event.

The Festival will encompass a series of city-wide events for people with an active lifestyle who participate in water-based sports. Strongly influenced by its roots in the recreational scuba diving and snorkeling industry, it will attract divers and non-divers, bringing together all water sports disciplines with a goal of encouraging future growth and interest.

The Water, Sports & Travel Festival is presented by Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) in conjunction with the Association of Wind & Water Sports Industries (AWSI), American Canoe Association (ACA), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), GreaterFort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA), Kite World Magazine, South FloridaUnderwater Photography Society (SFUPS),South FloridaWakeboarding Association (SFWA) and X-Ray Magazine.

Association of Wind & Water Sports Industries

“The first annual Water, Sports and Travel Festival is perfectly in alignment with AWSI’s mission of promoting the advancement and sustainability of the wind and water sports industry,” said Kate Lundin, Executive Director, Association of Wind & Water Sports Industries. “It will introduce a larger audience to the sports and lifestyle we represent and the accessibility of learning these while on vacation.

American Canoe Association

The ACA looks forward to sharing its paddlesports resources with other partners, exhibitors and attendees of the Festival,” Trey Knight, Education and Outreach Coordinator,  American Canoe Association. “There will be something for everyone related to all aspects of paddlesports be it canoeing,

kayaking or stand up paddleboarding.  Whether you are looking for education, stewardship, insurance, competition or you just love to get out on the water and recreate, the ACA and the Water, Sports & Travel Festival will help you get there.”

The Festival will include exhibitions of dozens of new products and services, featuring leading suppliers of water sports equipment. Consumer educational programs, seminars and training sessions will be offered, and conference sessions discussing the latest technologies, designed for professionals with eco and conservation sessions, will be open to everyone.

Additional special events include contests; in-water product demos; DiveCaching activities; live music; a lion fish cook-off; sports demonstrations; field trips to the Caribbean and aroundFort Lauderdale.

Ambit Advertising and Public Relations is creating and managing all marketing, including advertising and public relations, www.ambitmarketing.com.

The Water, Sports & Travel Festival is managed by MSE Management, a leading events marketing agency offering both strategic and management services for the creation and development of exhibitions, conferences & congresses around the world. For more information, visit: http://www.msemgmt.com.

For Festival information, visit www.wstfest.com, e-mail:  WSTFest@msemgmt.com or (800) 322-9332. Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WSTFest Twitter: www.Twitter.com/WSTFest

Image courtesy Water, Sports & Travel Festival