Proposal to Host

OMAE 2023

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada JUNE 24-29, 2023

Host Organization:

The University of British Columbia Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

Dr. Rajeev Jaiman Dr. Jasmin Jelovica Prof. Jon Mikkelsen

1. Year Targeted by Your Proposal

a) State the year you wish to host/sponsor the OMAE conference.

The Committee proposes to host OMAE 2023 in June 2023. The committee has secured the dates of June 24-29, 2023 based on conference venue availability. However, the committee has placed an option of June 17-22, 2023 if the conference venue becomes available. We expect to hear on the availability of the venue on these dates in the next few months. The committee is also open to the idea of hosting the conference in June 2024 if the OOAE Executive Committee prefers this option.

2. Local Sponsor and Local Organizing Committee

a) Provide the names, industry experience, and experience with the OMAE conference of the individuals who will form the LOC and provide their roles within the LOC (e.g. Conference Chair, Social Chair, etc.).

The Local Organizing Committee will be co-chaired by Dr. Rajeev Jaiman, Dr. Jasmin Jelovica, and Prof. Jon Mikkelsen.

Rajeev Jaiman is Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Seaspan Shipyards Chair in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Dr. Jaiman earned his Bachelor of Technology degree in Aerospace Engineering from IIT, Mumbai. Dr. Jaiman received his master's and doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana. Joining UBC from the National University of Singapore (NUS), his research concentrates on high-fidelity physical modeling and data-driven computing, with emphasis on large-scale computations of fluid-solid and fluid-fluid interfaces. Before NUS, Dr. Jaiman was the Director of Software Development at Altair Engineering, Inc., California, and was previously Lead Developer at ACUSIM Software. Several mission-critical projects have employed his pioneering modeling tools and techniques in marine/offshore, wind turbine and aerospace industries. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings and was recently awarded Prestigious Engineering Recognition by the Institute of Engineers Singapore, for the development of a next generation revolutionary semi-submersible. He is a senior member of

AIAA, and members of ASME, APS and US Congress of Computational Mechanics. Dr. Jaiman has over 10-years of experience in the organization of the CFD-VIV Symposium of OMAE.

Jasmin Jelovica is Assistant Professor and Seaspan Shipyards Chair in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at The University of British Columbia. His degrees in naval architecture were awarded at the University of Rijeka, Croatia and Aalto University, Finland. He went on to become a lecturer of ship design at Aalto, before joining UBC in 2017. His long term goal is to help in enabling sustainable use of resources in the marine industry. At the moment, this is directed to advanced structures and low heat-input welding techniques for ship manufacturing. Jasmin’s research involves understanding and modelling failures of structural members and ship hull girders in a marine environment. He wants to enable larger use of advanced structures and materials in ships, such as sandwich panels. One of the requirements for this is the creation of effective tools to assess their mechanical properties. Other research areas are using computer simulations and novel optimization tools in the design of ships. Jasmin is a member of International Ships and Offshore Structures Congress, currently serving in Committee II.1 Quasi-static response.

Jon Mikkelsen is a longstanding fixture in UBC’s naval architecture program, being himself a graduate of that program. His involvement with OMAE extends back to 2003 and he has not missed a single OMAE since that time. He was the co-chair of the 2004 OMAE Conference in Vancouver, and Technical Chair of OMAE 2013 conference in Nantes. He is a founding organizer of the OMAE Outreach Program and has served on the Executive and Extended Executive Committees of the OOAE Division. Prof. Mikkelsen’s primary interest is in educating engineers and Naval Architects who can serve Canada and society writ large. His focus is on project-based learning spanning a wide range of technical disciplines. He teaches in mechanical systems, design processes, and ship hydrodynamics. In addition to course-based teaching he serves as Faculty Advisor to many highly-successful student teams, including the Sailbot

autonomous sailboat team and the Supermileage SAE team. Prof. Mikkelsen is the 2008 recipient of the Killam Teaching Award. Mikkelsen was also the first UBC winner of the Wighton Fellowship, an award donated by a UBC alumnus. In 2016, Prof. Mikkelsen was elected a Fellow of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. It is expected that the following members will be invited to participate on the LOC. These include: Dr. Chris McKesson – Co Director, UBC Naval Architecture Program Conference Chair – SNAME Maritime Conference 2019 Dr. Wei Qui – Head, Naval Architecture and Chair of Canadian Network for Innovative Shipbuilding, Marine Research, and Training Conference Co-Chair, OMAE 2015, St. John’s Newfoundland Mr. Broder Hendricksen, Director of Engineering, Seaspan Shipyards Ltd. Dr. Ryozo Nagamune, Professor, UBC Mechanical Engineering Dr. Dave Michelson, Director, UBC Marine Systems Initiative Mr. Dan McGreer, Principle Naval Architect, VARD Marine Inc. Vice President, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Mr. Tony Armstrong, Director, TeeKay Shipping Inc. Mr. Mike Homer, Director of Engineering, Babcock Canada Ltd. Mr. Bruce Patterson, Director of Engineering, BC Ferries Inc. R. Adm. Richard Greenwood (ret.), Royal Canadian Navy Mr. Peter Noble, Noble and Associates Former President, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers

b) Which organization/institution will be the local sponsor? Describe their involvement in the ocean, offshore and arctic engineering field.

c) Review the Activity Responsibilities of the Local Organizing Committee in the sample Co-Sponsor Agreement (Appendix A) and briefly state how the responsibilities will be fulfilled.

d) State the experience that LOC (and staff if applicable) members have in participating in large international conferences

The University of British Columbia (UBC) will serve as the local institution. The UBC Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) Program along with the UBC Marine Systems Initiative (MSI) will be the acting organizations within UBC who will lead the organizing of OMAE 2023. As top tier University, UBC has a long history in the area of ocean, offshore, and arctic engineering. Past researchers in this area have included Dr. Sander Calisal (hydrodynamics, ship safety, ship design, marine renewables), Dr. Michael Isaacson (ocean and coastal engineering), and Dr. Henry Vaughn (ship structures). With the addition of new faculty and growth, UBC will remain active in all areas related to the Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering. In addition, UBC has initiated a research thrust that includes Green and Renewable energy, Underwater Noise, Advanced Marine Power Systems, Shipboard Electromagnetics (Wireless/EMC), Cybersecurity/Dependable Software, Data Analytics, and

Human Factors. It is expected that these technologies will all influence the marine industry in the coming years. As stated on the sample co-sponsoring agreement, the LOC will be responsible for recommending the conference venue for the event, recommending hotel accommodations, organizing all technical and special tours, arranging for volunteers, soliciting sponsorships, and organizing special topics. The LOC will be fully engaged to promote the conference and ensure its success. The LOC recognizes the role of ASME in negotiating contracts, approving financial obligations, technical content, assuming risks, etc. as stated on the agreement. The LOC has extensive experience in organizing conferences. Besides the successful OMAE held in Vancouver in 2004, the LOC was involved in the planning committee for the 2010 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) attended by over 3000 delegates and the 2011 Turbo Expo. Prof. Mikkelsen was recognized by the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI) for his work in recruiting and coordinating a team of over 100 volunteers to work at the successful Turbo Expo conference. It should be noted that Sea to Sky Meeting management was originally hired by the UBC LOC to help organize OMAE 2004. The teamwork and commitment shown by all parties eventually led to Sea to Sky Meeting Management being awarded the Global Paragon Award for Meeting Management. This international award recognized the work done by the planning and delivery of OMAE 2004.

e) In what ways would holding the OMAE Conference in your destination benefit the local ocean, offshore and arctic engineering field?

i. What local Industries will support the conference? ii. What local Research and Academic Institutions will support the conference? iii. What local Governmental Agencies will support the conference?

Being located on a natural deep water harbour on the Canada’s West Coast fosters an active and diverse maritime economy. This marine economy is based on global/local shipping, transportation, ship building/ship repair, design, manufacturing, fisheries, recreation, etc. It is estimated that the marine sector generates $16 Billion/year in economic activity on Canada’s west coast. The marine sector in Canada is undergoing a period of renewal and a new wave of growth. Earlier this decade, the Canadian Government established the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) to replace vessels for the Canadian Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Fisheries Science. This program has secured long term investment into the ship building, the ship design, and the various supply chains. The commitments on Canada’s west coast are expected to exceed $8 Billion. This program also allowed UBC to re-invigorate its research and teaching programs in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering. The program allowed the hiring of three faculty members into the program. Further expansion is planned with the establishment of the Marine Systems Initiative. Most recently, Shell along with several large Asian energy companies announced the decision to invest in a $40 Billion Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Kitimat located on BC’s Northern

Coast. This funding decision by the consortium, LNG Canada, is the largest private sector investment ever made in Canada. This facility will make Canada a key player in the global trade of LNG. It is expected that spin off research into LNG related transportation issues will be focussed at local academic and R&D institutions. Supporting the OMAE in Vancouver will allow exchange of current research and best practices with international and local delegates. The exchange of information allows local academic and industrial sectors to be engaged with the global community. The conference will support the continued establishment of a research and teaching program at UBC. It is critical that this program continues to expand to fill the need for highly qualified personnel (HQP) for not only Canada’s marine sector, but internationally as well. We expect to gain broad support from our local marine sectors. Invitations to support the conference will be extended to the following local and national companies, institutions, and government agencies: Identified as Local Industrial Sponsors: LNG Canada (Shell) Seaspan Shipyards Teekay Shipping L3/MAPPS Inc. Babcock Thales VARD Marine Canada Alion Science and Technology Robert Allan Ltd. Albion Marine Allied Shipyards Marine Harvest Canada BC Ferries Crescent Yachts Corvus Energy Identified as National Industrial Sponsors Petro Canada Chevron Exxon/Mobil Husky Irving Shipyards BAE Systems Lockheed Martin Schneider BMT Fleet Identified as Local Academic, Trade, and Research Institutions University of British Columbia British Columbia Institute of Technology – Marine Campus University of Victoria

National Research Council Canada Association of BC Marine Industries

Canadian Network for Innovative Shipbuilding, Marine Research, and Training Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers Canadian Chamber of Shipping Identified as Government Agencies Province Of British Columbia

- Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Resources - Ministry of Tourism

Government of Canada - Western Economic Diversity - Environment Canada - Industry Canada

Vancouver Port Authority City of Vancouver

3. Economic Viability

a) Estimate the number of registrants that may attend from your country or immediate region and include the rationale for your estimate.

It is expected that holding OMAE in Vancouver will draw a high number of delegates and visitors. A conservative estimate will be 1100 – 1300 delegates. The rationale for this estimate is that one can look at the recent OMAE in San Francisco as benchmark which drew approximately 1100 delegates. This trend in growth has continued since that time. Studies have shown that, in general, conferences held in Vancouver gather 15-20% more delegates than normal. The proximity to Asia, the draw of tourism to Vancouver and the surrounding regions, and the reputation of safe and friendly environment all contribute to healthy numbers of visitors to Vancouver and British Columbia.

b) Do you have commitments for local sponsorship? If so, are these firm commitments and what is the dollar value committed?

At this point, no potential sponsors have been approached with regards to supporting OMAE 2023. It is expected that the LOC will be able to network and solicit funding from the industrial, academic, and government agencies identified earlier. The levels of sponsorship should be in line with the levels of sponsorship secured for some of our most recent conferences. 4. City and Country

a) Are there any restrictions that may prevent attendees from receiving a visa to enter the country?

There are no restrictions on travel to Canada from any foreign countries. Visas are not required for visitors from the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Mexico. Visas for visitors from the People Republic of China, India, and Brazil are straight

forward. Historically, OMAE delegates are primarily from the Visa free countries along with Brazil and China so there should no issues with attendance at the conference due to travel restrictions.

b) Please give a list of countries served by direct flights from your international airport (include rail if relevant). What is the distance of the airport from the proposed venue? Also indicate the available means of transportation between the airport and the proposed venue.

Vancouver International Airport, known as YVR, is Canada’s second busiest airport. It is served by over 50 airlines connecting 125 non-stop cities directly to Vancouver. YVR serves as an international hub for travel between Asia and North America. In 2017, YVR was voted the top airport in North America in the Skytrax Awards, which are based on an independent survey of more than 13 million passengers from 108 countries. YVR is the only airport to have ever received this honour for eight consecutive years. Travel from the airport to the proposed venue and hotels is a simple trip by rapid transit rail (named Canada Line). The terminal in the airport is centrally located and no transfer of trains is required to reach the destination terminal (Waterfront Station). The conference venue is located next to the Waterfront Station and the hotels are all within a simple 5 or 10 minutes walk. The rapid transit trip takes only 35 minutes and costs less than $10. Further details on the airport and flights is shown in the Appendix.

c) Briefly summarize personal safety concerns, if any, for visitors to the destination. Vancouver is a safe city. Violent crimes and muggings are very rare. As in most large cities, visitors should keep a close eye on personal belongings such as cameras, phones, and purses. In general, it is safe to travel at night with only one exception – a region referred to as the Downtown Eastside. 5. Meeting Space

a) Using the sample Program at a Glance, provide a floor plan outlining the meeting space proposed with seating capacities for each room in theatre style.

The proposed venue for OMAE 2023 is the Vancouver Convention Centre East (VCC East). This venue was selected for its central location, adequate room sizes, and proximity to transit. The meeting space is in the Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal located on the Vancouver Waterfront. The facility is easily accessible by all forms of rapid transit (bus, subway, and rail), taxi service, passenger ferry service, and even float planes and passenger helicopters.

Figure 1. Aerial photo of Vancouver Convention Centres. The proposed venue for OMAE 2023

is the Vancouver Convention Centre East (VCC East) located in the Cruise Ship Terminal

The following floor plans show the exhibition level (ground floor) and the meeting level (upper level) marked with the meeting spaces for OMAE 2023. As shown on the plans, as many as 20 breakout rooms are available for the OMAE conference. Of these 20, three (rooms 4, 5 and 6) have seating for 40 so that leaves 17 with a capacity of 50 or more. One of the rooms (Room 1) has a capacity of 300 which is sufficient for the special general seminars given at the end of each day. With all the rooms on one level, there is no issue of delegates needing to travel to another building or another level to attend a session. The LOC will work closely with the Technical Program Chair to ensure room sizes match the expected attendance of each symposium session.

On the exhibition level, the opening plenary session will take place in the Exhibit Hall A which has a capacity for 2300 delegates. This is sufficient for the expected maximum attendance at the opening ceremonies. Daily lunches will be served in Combined Ballrooms ABC. The capacity for this room is 1200 seated at tables. The room will also serve to host the exhibitors for OMAE 2023 and the farewell reception on Thursday. The OMAE short courses, Outreach for Engineers Program, and OOAE Division meetings will all take place on the Meeting Level. The location of the Registration Desks will be in the lobby of VCC East and entrance to the meeting levels and luncheon halls can be closely monitored by LOC Volunteers. Other options for the organizers include hosting the opening reception at the VCC East by combining Rooms 1, 2 and 3. Other options include hosting the event on the Exhibition Level in the larger halls. These options will be reviewed closely by the LOC and OOAE Executive Committee.

b) Is the meeting space on a first right of refusal hold for the OMAE conference? If yes, indicate which dates the rooms are on hold.

The VCC East is on a first right of refusal for the June 23-29, 2023 dates. The week of June 14-22, 2023, the OMAE conference is on a second right of refusal.

c) Indicate the proposed cost for meeting space. If the cost is conditional upon items

such as guest room pickup or food & beverage spending, please state the conditions.

A detailed costing for the venue is attached for review. The total cost for all the OMAE events from Saturday through until Thursday is CAN$45,378.38 (~US$34,033). These costs include all applicable taxes. The meeting space cost is not contingent on any other conditions. However, food services within the VCC East can only by provided by the official caterer to the VCC. See Appendix 2 for details.

The Canadian Goods and Services (GST) tax is set at 5%. There is a provision in the Canadian Tax code that this tax can be refunded as part of the Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program. The LOC will work to have OMAE 2023 apply for this tax rebate. Currently, the rules state that 100% of the GST can be refunded for the rental of the convention facilities and 50% of the GST for food and beverages.

d) Include the capability and cost for the venue to provide wireless internet, noting

the number of IP addresses that can be supported at one time.

The Vancouver Convention Centre will provide wireless service for the conference dates for a total cost of CAN$19858.52 (US$14893.89) including taxes. This quote is based on 1000 delegates with expected 65% daily usage.

Figure 2. Floor Plans and Capacities for VCC East Exhibition Level

Figure 3. Floor Plans and Capacities for VCC East Meeting Level

6. Guest Rooms

a) Is a room block being held at a single hotel or a number of hotels?

The VCC East is centrally located with several of hotels within walking distance. Most hotels in immediate vicinity are 4 or 5 star hotels. Since the convention is not associated with a hotel, there is no requirement to negotiate room blocks in order to secure meeting rooms. However, preferential room rates will be negotiated with several of the nearby hotels. At the time of writing, five hotels are being approached for commissionable room rates. All five hotels are within easy walking distance to the VCC East. These hotels are: Pan Pacific Vancouver Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Marriot Hotel Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront Delta Hotel It must be noted that VCC East is at the terminal for all the major rapid transit lines. This allows OMAE delegates to secure hotel rooms outside of the downtown core. Rates at hotels outside the downtown core are always less expensive. The LOC will look at several hotels outside the downtown core including popular destinations such as Richmond and North Vancouver. As the host organization, UBC has numerous student residences that can be made available for graduate student accommodations. This option will provide low cost alternatives for students and delegates that may have trouble paying hotel rates. Commuting to VCC East from UBC by transit is approximately 45 minutes. Finally, the downtown core has numerous condominiums and apartments that are rented through Air BnB. It has become very popular for families to rent these fully furnished accommodations as an alternative to hotels. The VCC East facility is within easy walking distance from many of these Air BnB accommodations.

b) If a room block is being held, provide the guest room rate(s). Of the five hotels being reviewed, the most promising hotel is the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront. The hotel has offered a commissionable rate of CAN$319 (~US$239) per night for standard rooms.

c) Describe the risks (e.g. minimum number of guest rooms required or penalties if not met) and rewards (concessions – commission, complimentary guest rooms, complimentary or reduced meeting space, upgrades, etc.) of the proposed guest room block.

At this stage, the hotel negotiations are beginning and so no room blocks have been assigned.

d) If a congress or conference center is proposed as the venue, supply a map showing the location and category (5 star, 4 star etc.) of hotels close to the proposed venue.

Figure 4. Location of Pinnacle Hotel in Relation of VCC East

7. Social Functions

a) Provide a brief summary of the proposed Welcome Reception, Final Banquet and Technical and Cultural Tours. Include other social function elements if you wish.

Several options exist for social functions and technical tours. Some of these tours include: Possible Technical Tours on Friday:

- Tour at Seaspan Shipyards. In 2023, the construction of Royal Canadian Navy Joint Support Vessel will be well underway. It is also possible that the construction of Canada’s Heavy Icebreaker will also be taking place at that time.

- Technical Tour at UBC. Highlights could include Clean Energy Centre, Quantum Mechanics Institute, Marine Systems Institute, TRIUMF Nuclear Facility

- Tour at Crescent Yachts. This is one of Canada’s premier luxury yacht

makers. - Tour at International Submarine Engineering. Manufacturer of Deep Sea

Oceanographic Submarines. OMAE 2023 Final Banquet Options:

- UBC Museum of Anthropology. This venue was used for OMAE2004 and was very popular.

- Numerous hotel options in the downtown core such as historic Hotel Vancouver

- Vancouver Harbour Cruise. Several dining tour operators are available - HMCS Discovery Naval Reserve in Stanley Park.

Sunday Evening Welcome Reception

- VCC East Facility. The facility overlooks the harbour. - Commodore Ballroom. Historic dance and live music venue. Similar style as

the OMAE 2014 San Francisco welcome event

Tuesday Appreciation Dinner/Honorary Symposium Dinner - Royal Vancouver Yacht Club - Restaurant at Queen Elizabeth Park - Dining at the top of Grouse Mountain - Capilano Suspension Bridge - Stanley Park Pavillion - Numerous Top Tier Restaurants in the City

Cultural Tour Options in Vancouver area include:

- UBC Museum of Anthropology, - Stanley Park and the Vancouver Aquarium, - Vanier Park with the Vancouver Museum and Vancouver Maritime Museum, - Bard on the Beach - Popular summer Shakespeare festival, - Granville Island, - Historic Gastown.

Tours beyond Vancouver include:

- Whistler/Blackcomb - Sunshine Coast - Whale watching - Victoria and Vancouver Island - Okanagan Wine Tours

Since the Vancouver Convention Centre East is the Cruise Ship Terminal for Vancouver, it is possible to consider an OMAE cruise following the conference. This opportunity would allow delegates and their families to socialize in a friendly environment and strengthen the OMAE relationships. This opportunity will be explored by the LOC with direction from the OOAE executive and ASME.

The LOC is also considering hosting Outreach for Engineers offsite. This may allow students to get exposed to the marine industry through tours of marine facilities and participating in short courses at the Marine Training Institute. Other options may include hosting the event in Whistler on the weekend prior to the conference. Once again, these opportunities will involve input and direction from OOAE and ASME.

APPENDIX 1 Information on Vancouver International Airport

APPENDIX 2 Detailed Information on Proposed VCC East Rental