Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in the US, is to be the keynote speaker at this year's NMEA International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo banquet. The event will be held on Saturday, October 2 at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel in Seattle, Washington, and will highlight a week of technical meetings, seminars and social events that begin on September 26.

Dammrich took up his position as head of the NMMA in 1999. Since then, he has increased the association's membership by around 30 per cent to more than 1,600 members. Together, they are said to produce 80 per cent of all recreational boating products currently sold in North America. Dammrich has also been instrumental in helping to unite the industry through the Grow Boating initiative.

Founded in 1957, the NMEA provides technical standards for data exchange in marine electronics, with the widely accepted NMEA 0183 data protocol, NMEA 2000 and certification standards for marine electronics technicians. NMEA standards and programs focus on ensuring that the boating consumer is provided reliable products and professional service.