The Branch Annual Dinner took place on 18th April in the Duke of Cornwall Hotel in Plymouth. The banqueting hall was full to capacity with over 140 guests enjoying an evening of dining and entertainment that was another resounding success. The dinner is proving to be a key event in the local social calendar, and building on the popularity of the previous events, numbers have doubled from 75 to 140 since 2006, and we hope that they will keep growing in the future.
Supported by the local membership of both RINA and IMarEST, there were also representatives from the Nautical Institute and Hydrographic Society. Local businesses such as Babcock Marine (ex DML), University of Plymouth, Armada Hydraulics, Serco Denholm were once again attending and were joined this year by Wartsila.
The coming together of naval architects, marine engineers, technologists, academia and local business seems to work well, all using the event as a networking forum in most convivial surroundings. The Duke of Cornwall, in Plymouth, has proved a wonderfully consistent venue to host the event and no doubt contributes to the success of the evening.
We were honoured to have as our principal guests Dr. Wyn Williams - the outgoing President of IMarEST - and his wife Dylis. This follows the presence of Trevor Blakeley - Chief Executive of RINA- in 2007. Dr Williams gave a short entertaining speech on his vision for the future of IMarEST which was lighthearted, but with a serious underlying message.
Congratulations must go to the organisers, Nick Houslander and Iain Colquhoun for such a great evening.
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