We seem to be very busy attending events at the moment; a couple of weeks ago we were at METS in Amsterdam, Europe's largest marine electronics trade show; this week our sister brand, McMurdo, has been at Marinetec in Shanghai, the biggest maritime event in Asia. Also this week Kannad Marine is attending the Paris Boatshow, Salon Nautique de Paris. Despite all of the hard work involved in creating marketing material, shipping everything to the location, arranging staff to man the booths and all the other things we need to do, we really do enjoy the opportunity to meet and chat with many of the interesting people who use or want to find out more about our products.

What do we get asked about most? Well at the moment, probably which type of beacon do I need? Since the release of the SafeLink R10 we now have three different types of emergency beacon (EPIRB, PLB and Personal AIS), each with its place. Which is the best solution really depends on the individual and their circumstances: a single-handed yachtsman might choose a PLB, while a yacht with a crew of six might prefer an EPIRB for the boat and R10-equipped life jackets for the crew (or as an alternative the McMurdo S10, which is a hand-held version of the R10, used when working around the water but not wearing a life jacket). Hopefully chatting through how the products work with the visitors helps them make up their minds.

And so on to 2012 when we are planning to attend even more shows.