The True Value of MariTrends

On Feb. 6, 2020, the Passenger Vessel Association wrapped up the final day of one of its most successful MariTrends in Tampa. While the idea of COVID-19 was front and center during our time in the Sunshine State, I do not think any of us imagined what the coming days, weeks, and months would have in store for us as the most economically devastating event this country has seen since the Great Depression put a large number of our members at the point of bankruptcy. After experiencing a stroke of good luck in even being able to have an in-person convention in 2020, we unfortunately were forced to cancel in Portland in 2021 and had a virtual convention given the lasting effects of the pandemic.

MariTrends 2022 in Covington was born. …for many who chose to come to Covington, it was the first time the world seemed to make sense again.

Fast forward a year later, in the lead up to MariTrends 2022 in Long Beach, Calif., there was great hope and excitement that we would finally be able to get back in front of each other and start rebuilding the industry in the best way we know how—by being shoulder to shoulder with everyone who makes up this wonderful association. With plane tickets and hotels booked for Long Beach, I received an urgent message for an emergency board of directors meeting. The Bombard family in Long Beach had contacted our executive director, John Groundwater, and simply said, “You cannot come to Long Beach at this time due to the pandemic.” Government restrictions and local rules simply made having a convention there impossible. So, what do we do? Do we have yet another virtual convention? Do we risk spending another year apart? After hitting a high-water mark (pun intended) in attendees in Tampa in 2020, what would our industry numbers look like if we had to wait almost three full years for MariTrends 2023?

It was my position that we had to do everything we could to make an in person meeting a reality. Given my family’s stature in our community, we started looking for a solution and thanks to my father, Alan Bernstein, and my sister, Terri Bernstein, MariTrends 2022 in Covington was born. In just about one month’s time, along with PVA staff, we were able to organize and pull off a very important meeting in our association’s history. In a time that most were finding every reason not to hold a meeting, we found reasons to. While numbers for a last-minute convention were obviously less than normal, associate members were able to look across the table and speak to vessel members. Vessel staff were able to sit in a room together and discuss the challenges that plagued their operations. Committee meetings, learning sessions, and keynote addresses were all able to happen again. Local restaurants were even able to host out of town guests and for many who chose to come to Covington, it was the first time the world seemed to make sense again.

As planning started for 2026, the possibility of coming back to Covington arose. On the heels of the success in 2022, as well as rising convention numbers each year since, it did not take the association very long to pull the trigger on a return to the Greater Cincinnati area. Feb. 22-26, 2026, the members of the industry descended once again on the small city just south of Cincinnati and by all accounts, it was a resounding success. From across the country, from outside the nation’s border, attendees came together to share ideas, network, learn, and celebrate together.

Pre-convention activities began on Saturday with PVA’s all-important committee meetings where vessel and associate members collaborate and tackle the most pressing issues within the passenger vessel industry. These committees are imperative for the association and its members to help drive initiatives to benefit every member of the industry. Have you ever thought about getting more involved in the inner workings of the association? Volunteering your time on a committee is one of the most worthwhile exercises you can do in your time in our industry. Any member of the PVA staff can help send you in the right direction if you are interested.

Volunteering your time on a committee is one of the most worthwhile exercises you can do in your time in our industry.

Saturday evening, the PVA Leadership Dinner, hosted by long-time sponsor All American Marine, was held in the Champions Club at Great American Ball Park. This beautiful club, overlooking the Ohio River, served as a wonderful space to kick off the week to come. PVA leadership, committee members, and PVA staff were treated to a delicious spread of hors d’oeuvres and dinner, along with the very special privilege of batting practice in the Cincinnati Reds’ private hitting tunnels located in the bowels of the stadium. Each interested invitee was handed a helmet and bat and sent in to face a Reds staff member. From a personal perspective, it has been a very long time since I competitively tried to hit that little white baseball. I sit through dozens and dozens of games each year as I watch my son play high level youth baseball, and you quickly take for granted how simple of a concept that “see the ball, hit the ball” provides. I sadly went one for four, but I didn’t pull any muscles so that will be chalked up as a success in my book. For the record, with my tail tucked between my legs, my wife and sister went two for four.

There is simply no better way to get impactful ideas and advice in running your business than being a participant at MariTrends.

The convention got fully underway on Monday as the first of 60 learning sessions began with more than 90 speakers scheduled to present over the four days of the convention. Formats ranged from educational sessions to roundtables to lunch-and-learns, all with the goal of not only delivering information, but engaging audience members in sharing their own experiences and knowledge. This sharing of information between all our members is where the true value of being at the convention comes from. It is impossible to quantify the benefit you get from being in a room with operators and associates who all understand your operation and issues facing your business. There is simply no better way to get impactful ideas and advice in running your business than being a participant at MariTrends.

The first showcase of the convention is always the opening general session when the Roger Murphy National Marine Safety Award and the Captain Elizabeth Gedney Passenger Vessel Safety Award are presented by the Safety and Security Committee to two very deserving members who have exhibited extraordinary efforts in promoting and carrying out the culture of safety that our industry is known for.

Tony Heeter, operations manager at Blue & Gold Fleet in San Francisco, was recognized with the Roger Murphy National Marine Safety Award for his work in collaboration with local agencies and vessel operators to address growing whale activity in the area. His efforts led to new operational protocols that balance the needs of vessel operators and enhanced protection for the wildlife, leading to increased safety for both marine life and the maritime industry.

The Captain Elizabeth Gedney Passenger Vessel Safety Award was given to Captain Erin Daigle from Shoreline Sightseeing in Chicago. In June 2025, Daigle was assigned to the M/V Lickety Split when the call came in of a person in the river. Daigle spotted the man face down, exhausted, and attempting to tread water. Her training instantly took over as she maneuvered the vessel toward the man, deployed life-saving equipment, and contacted the Chicago Police Marine Unit. The man’s life was saved by the swift actions of Daigle and her crew.

At the opening general session, MariTrends attendees were hosted to a treat as Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie took the stage for a very refreshing and unique view of everything going on in Washington D.C. Representative Massie has always been a big supporter of the maritime community and has been a close family friend of mine and my family’s. He is and continues to be a major ally in Washington for our entire association.

The annual installment of the high-stakes rivalry known affectionately as the Passenger Vessel Foundation Region Competition returned this year for something near and dear to the hearts of every Kentuckian…horse racing! Past President Alan Bernstein hosted the festivities while members were all able to loosen their collars, sip their favorite beverage, and root their fellow region members around the eight-furlong track. While there was concern that Al’s own personal horse wasn’t going to be up to the challenge of trotting him around the convention center, he ultimately made it through and at the conclusion of the evening, the Rivers Region prevailed. Mike Graham was the big winner of the evening winning two race purses, which he very kindly donated back to the foundation. This event is always a favorite of everyone who participates, and it goes a long way in providing the necessary funding for the PVA Foundation to support our membership.

After numerous educational seminars, hotel bar discussions, meetings, and shared dinners, the convention wrapped at the annual PVA President’s Dinner, this year hosted at BB Riverboats and the M/V Belle of Cincinnati and sponsored by Rolls-Royce Solutions America. My company was able to host all of you to a spectacular evening of culinary treats, bourbon, and cigars and all topped off with the proverbial ‘cherry on top’ of fireworks on the Ohio River. It was the perfect way to mark the start of new leadership for the association as we heard from Andrew Sargis, new PVA president for 2026. Andrew gave a wonderful speech outlining his views and hopes for the coming year in helping position PVA experience continued success.

This event is always a favorite of everyone who participates, and it goes a long way in providing the necessary funding for the PVA Foundation to support our membership.

While I am unsure if 2026 PVA President Andrew Sargis’ private security allowed anyone to get close to him, PVA is in good hands as we approach the new season. And all joking aside, Andrew is about as easily contacted as any leadership member has ever been. He believes deeply in all that PVA stands for and always has time to hear from anyone in our membership.

So, with that, the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends came to a close. From the entire Bernstein family, we truly appreciate having you in our hometown. We hope your time here was one of the best conventions you have attended. We hope our city’s restaurants and amenities were everything you hoped for, and we hope to see everyone in Tampa in 2027. I also very much appreciate everyone in the association who believed enough in me to be elected to leadership as I will be your incoming secretary/treasurer for 2026. Along with our new president, Andrew Sargis, and new vice president, John Lake, we all hope to continue positioning the Passenger Vessel Association in its rightful place atop the maritime landscape of the country.