Jeff Skiles, co-pilot of the "Miracle on the Hudson," to speak at April's WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference

    NEW ORLEANS, LA, February 26, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jeff Skiles, co-pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, the "Miracle on the Hudson," will be the keynote speaker at the WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo on April 13 at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The topic of his address is "Crisis Management - When The Unexpected Happens, You're Ready."

"Skiles will discuss what went into preparing the flight crew to be calm and confident so they could successfully land the plane," said David Krapf, editor in chief of WorkBoat magazine. "Skiles and the crew were calm and well prepared, and it resulted in the saving of 155 lives. I'm sure there will be a tip or two you can take from Jeff's talk to use in your organization."

The "Miracle on the Hudson" would not have had such a good result if not for years of training and preparation that allowed the two pilots to understand exactly what the other was doing - thus maximizing their time, communication, and effectiveness.

"When you're a pilot and both your engines fail over the largest city in the U.S., you must act quickly and have trust in the system that has trained and prepared you to handle such emergencies," Krapf said. "Having only met each other three days earlier, co-pilots Skiles and Chesley Sullenberger were able to work together as a team because they trusted the system and training and professionalism of everyone involved, from the air-traffic controllers to their crew."

The WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo, which is scheduled from April 12-14, is the only educational series dedicated solely to the needs of owners, port captains, fleet managers, engineers and mechanics responsible for commercial vessel maintenance. The Expo's All Access Pass includes the complete 15-session conference program, a full three-day Expo & Events Pass, daily happy hours, hands-on workshops and general sessions, the job fair and job advice centers, product demonstrations, workshops, daily breakfast, and all speakers.

To register, visit www.workboatmaintenanceandrepair.com.

About the WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo
Based on the success of last year's inaugural WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo, the 2016 event will again bring together professionals from the commercial vessel maintenance and repair industry.

"The Expo will be the best place to connect with people, be introduced to the latest products, and receive information and updates needed to keep up and stay ahead of the curve," said Denielle Christensen, show director from Diversified Communications, which produces the award-winning International WorkBoat Show each year in New Orleans.

The 2015 inaugural event was attended by nearly 2,000 top commercial marine leaders. The 2016 event will build on that success and offer the unique combination of a custom-tailored conference program, a highly focused exhibit hall and extensive networking events. The Expo will also host a free Maritime Job Fair and Job Advice Center from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, as well as safety trainings and more than 200 exhibiting companies.

In addition to Skiles, this year's featured speaker is Christian Vaccari, vice president, Gulf Island Shipyards LLC, who will discuss "Building Stronger Shipyards with Collaboration" on Tuesday, April 12.

If you are interested in exhibiting at the show, contact Chris Dimmerling, sales director, at [email protected] or (207) 842-5666.

For further information, visit www.workboatmaintenanceandrepair.com.

About WorkBoat
WorkBoat is part of the Diversified Business Communications portfolio of commercial marine events, publications and digital products. The WorkBoat brand has been connecting qualified buyers with leading suppliers for more than 70 years. In print through WorkBoat magazine, online at WorkBoat.com, face-to-face at the International WorkBoat Show and through education with the Professional Series, WorkBoat delivers high quality information to all segments of the marine industry in North America. For more information, visit www.workboat.com.

About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications, based in Portland, Maine, provides information and market access through face-to-face events, publications and digital products. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine and business management. Diversified operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Canada. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com.

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