GO Diving Show 2023: Review
If you missed last weekend’s GO Diving show in the Midlands, you really did miss out! This fourth show from the GO Diving Team promised to be bigger and better than before and it absolutely did succeed!
Once again, the show was held at the NAEC in Stoneleigh – a superb, spacious and easily accessible venue with heaps of FREE parking that is close to many major road, rail and air networks, as well as plenty of accommodation options for those needing to travel to the area from elsewhere in the UK and abroad.
This year’s show had expanded into two hall spaces and the new design of the Main Stage being within the second hall worked much better for presenters and exhibitors alike. With the Great British Pub across from the stage and plenty of space to sit and relax, it was the perfect hub to take the weight off your feet and grab a coffee or a beer, whist getting suitably inspired by a great roster of international speakers. The duo of Ross Kemp and Andy Torbet, and ‘Mother of Sharks’ Cristina Zenato were justifiably popular with the crowds, as I’m sure the other main presentations were that I didn’t get to see.
And that’s the thing… even with two full days spent at the show there was so much to see and do, and so many people to catch up with, that you really were spoilt for choice over the weekend. There were many outstanding presentations on the smaller stages on technical diving, photography, marine conservation, wreck diving and more. I was frustrated not to be able to take the time to watch more. Maybe shorter presentations next time?
Once again, there were lots of interactive elements for visitors to enjoy, including the excellent pool for try dives and side mount dives, VR-experiences and workshops, the mobile caving unit and Bruce the bucking rodeo shark. My children particularly enjoyed their try dives and both times pretty much had the pool – and the instructors – to themselves! What an unbelievable privilege… but it did make me think that it was a shame not to see more people taking advantage of this great experience to try diving for the first time, included in the ticket price.
Dive shows in the UK have always been brilliant at attracting existing divers and there is no doubt that this year’s GO Diving show was well supported and exceptionally well organised and run. A massive thank you and all credit to the GO Diving Team. But as many conversations over the weekend demonstrated, there is still a huge amount of work that the dive industry as a whole needs to do to attract new divers into our wonderful community. It’s never been more important that we, as an industry, look outwards and work together to make this happen. Roll on GO Diving 2024!
