Soundings Trade Only this morning welcomed five women marine industry leaders to the Metstrade Theater to discuss technology, artificial intelligence and cultivating diversity in the workplace.
Moderated by Michele Goldsmith, vice president and general manager of the Soundings Trade Only Group, the discussion included IBEX executive director Anne Dunbar, Yachting Ventures founder and CEO Gabbi Richardson, Humphree CEO Helena Lennerstedt, AkzoNobel Global business director Jemma Lampkin, and Lippert EMEA leadership and culture director Rhoda Schnitzer.
Nearly 150 people attended the hour-plus session, which began with a conversation about how each leader is using technology to further their organization’s efficiency and efficacy. It’s part of Soundings Trade Only’s Women in the Industry series.
“We definitely use technology, especially with our website, to make a better experience for our exhibitors,” Dunbar said. “It’s about giving them the tools they need to make the best of their time at IBEX.”
Richardson mentioned the usefulness of such platforms as Slack, Hubspot, Teams and others in connecting venture capitalists with the start-up businesses she helps find funding.
“Obviously, with the shift to working remotely, it’s important to find the right tools to connect people,” she told attendees.
The conversation then shifted to the use of artificial intelligence, its usefulness in marine businesses and ethics behind using the technology. Platforms such as ChatGPT and chatbots were discussed.
“We want to be really careful about how we use AI,” Dunbar said, “but it has a real usefulness in creating an experience that is more efficient for exhibitors. For example, if someone came to our website to find a Women in the Industry event, a chatbot could save them time finding where and when the event was being held versus entering search terms into the website. That’s just one way we’re looking to utilize AI.”
Lennerstedt talked about how AI can be used in modeling Humphree stabilization products. “We can use AI to model how a boat reacts in the water to what the stabilizers are doing,” she said. “What we’re really using it for is to make a better experience for our customers.”
Lampkin spoke about using AI to help boatyards and end consumers pick paint colors for refit projects. “We use AR headsets that allow yards to help their clients visualize a paint color on a boat in real time,” she said. “It’s a neat way to improve customer experience.”
The event concluded with questions from the audience.
The next Women in the Industry event is a virtual session scheduled for Dec. 17, focused on preparing for success in 2025. The next in-person panel will be held during the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show in February.
