The three-part Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) Virtual Series wrapped up successfully in March with each of the two-hour sessions averaging nearly 90 participants from around the U.S., Australia, England, the Netherlands and other countries.

“It was great to see the marine industry coming together online during these last few months,” says IFAI Event & Education Manager, Barbara Connett. “These sessions were a convenient opportunity to engage in tailored industry education and connect with fabricators and vendors in short, convenient blocks of time right from their own shop.”

The Virtual Series provided targeted education presented by industry professionals on a variety of topics including emergency preparedness, scaling a business and incorporating technology into fabrication shops. Each session also included short interviews with event exhibitors and sponsors, high-tech virtual shop tours, awards presentations, product giveaways and networking opportunities for fabricators and vendors.

“I look forward to attending the annual MFA conference each year,” says Keri Ames, Yachtsman’s Canvas, North Wales, Pa. “It is always a great platform to expand my knowledge and connect with fellow fabricators. This year’s virtual series delivered both well-informed seminars and the valuable opportunity to network during a time when in-person conferences were not possible.”

Event Gold sponsors for the 2021 MFA Virtual Series were Continental, Herculite, Keyston Bros., Miami Corporation, Sattler Corp., Sunbrella^®, Surefas and Trivantage. General sponsors were Fabric Tattoo/Eqodry, IMAR Products LLC, Marlen Textiles, Polyfab USA LLC and WeatherMAX.

“We received very positive feedback from attendees and sponsors, including some shops that are not typically able to attend the in-person events,” says Connett. “There is clearly a place for this type of virtual event in MFA, and we will be discussing options for additional events in the future.”