IMCA Marks 20th Anniversary

Over 120 members and guests attended the reception celebrating the 20th anniversary of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) last week (19 May).

The reception followed IMCA’s ‘Allocation of risk in challenging current market conditions’ seminar organised by the association’s Contracts & Insurance Workgroup.

Welcoming guests, IMCA’s Technical Director and Acting Chief Executive, Jane Bugler explained that IMCA was formed in spring 1995 through the merger of the Association of Offshore Diving Contractors (AODC, founded in 1972) and the Dynamically Positioned Vessel Owners Association (DPVOA, founded in 1990).

At its birth IMCA had around a hundred members. “I believe that the most important aspect of the last 20 years has been that IMCA has become a truly global association with now over a thousand members in more than 60 countries worldwide,” Bugler explained.

“In addition in the process of becoming international we have developed a regional structure – with active sections in the 5 IMCA geographical regions of Asia Pacific, Central & North America, Europe and Africa, Middle East and India and South America – all of whom meet regularly and can attract over a hundred members at their meetings.

“As well as seeing a considerable grown in membership, the past 20 years has also led to a considerable growth in the recognition and use of IMCA’s wide-ranging documentation – providing good practice guidance to help other members and others to undertake safe and efficient marine operations which is picked up and used by oil companies and regulators alike,” she added.

“In the current economic climate it is important that IMCA remains relevant to our members and delivers value,” she explained. “We are currently undertaking a review of the management and governance of IMCA to ensure that IMCA is structured appropriately to deliver our vision and strategy so that we can to continue to provide support to our members, bring sustainability and take the marine contracting industry forward for the next 20 years.”

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