Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities. Not only is it aesthetically beautiful in just about every way, but it also is easily walkable and bikeable. It has a rich maritime history and a laid-back culture I’ve come to love after several visits during the past 10 years.
Another plus is that with only a little effort, I can speak the most essential parts of the Dutch lingo. A vast majority of the population speaks English, as in most European countries, making Amsterdam an easy place for business travelers and tourists alike to explore.
I just returned from this clever Dutch city after a week attending Metstrade, the world’s largest marine components and accessories show. The exhibition this year set records, having taken up every hall at the gargantuan RAI complex. The event hosted 20,000 visitors who showed up to parley with 1,700 exhibitors.
The North American contingent this year moved to Hall 12. This move concerned many Canadian and American exhibitors, but based on what I heard and experienced, the vibe was excellent. A couple of components and accessories manufacturers told me they wished for more foot traffic, but the overarching sentiments were positive.
Tucked away in one corner of Hall 12 was the North American Stage, anchored on each side by Soundings Trade Only and National Marine Manufacturers Association displays. I had the pleasure of interviewing Imtra president and CEO Eric Braitmayer on the stage during day two of the show, and there was a schedule of excellent panel discussions. I attended and enjoyed them right alongside plenty of other visitors at the North American Stage theater.
Based on many conversations that I had, I can once again confirm that political and economic uncertainty have many industry members concerned. The concern I heard most about in the exhibit hall was tariffs. The Whac-A-Mole game the industry has been playing with the levies has left many company leaders and logistics planners exhausted. The frustrations they describe mirror what we see in consumers, many of whom are holding on to their cash until more certain times come around again.
As we arrive at the one-year mark since the current tariff situation began, I asked senior editor David Conway to do a deep dive by interviewing industry leaders and analysts about the current trade landscape and the strategies marine manufacturers are employing. You can find his excellent reporting, including what these leaders are considering going forward, starting on Page 20.
Speaking of looking forward, contributing editor Kim Kavin spoke with leaders across the marine industry about what they see coming in the year ahead, in wide-ranging areas from government relations to boat sales to AI. It’s encouraging to see so many leaders finding ways to plan for success, no matter what macroeconomic headwinds luff their sails. Kavin’s reporting begins on Page 24.
Master marketer and Soundings Trade Only columnist Wanda Kenton Smith, meanwhile, conducted a survey to explore the ways that public relations and marketing agencies deal with the press. She asked all the right questions. Among editors’ top pet peeves: low-quality and low-resolution photography provided as part of a press release or unsolicited pitch. She offers suggestions about this problem and others, to help companies be more successful in their marketing and P.R. efforts, starting on Page 74.
As we round the mark into 2026, I am impressed. Our industry is thinking creatively about how to reinvent, innovate and deal with stubborn macro-level uncertainty. What I heard from the industry in Amsterdam is that leaders and participants are knuckling down to make it all work, despite many factors they cannot control. In the right context, uncertainty can be the mother of invention.
