MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
Founded in 1989 to represent the large yacht industry, the International Superyacht Society is an extensive network of global alliances, giving a voice to all professionals in the industry. Speaking to superyachts.com during the Monaco Yacht Show, Melissa Orlick and Ken Hickling talk through the Society’s key initiatives and plans for the future.
Dealing with issues affecting all industry players, from owners to crew, a big part of what the ISS does comes through its education and networking events. “A major initiative that we’re doing is through education,” explains Melissa Orlick. “Focusing for example here at Monaco on our crew entrepreneurship, how they’ve come onshore and created their own businesses after leaving life on board. After that we’ve also got our technical committee, and then our continued awards and recognition and excellence.” These awards include the Fabien Cousteau Blue Award, recognising those making great strides in preserving the world’s ecosystems.
Expanding on the importance of offering support to crew members, Ken said noted how careers at sea are often short-lived, and how the ISS helps preparations for life on land. “The average is that people go to sea for about 7 years. People getting to 30 or so years of age then want to come ashore and the real question is how do you have a career path, what do you step ashore into? We have a fantastic industry here with lots and lots of small businesses. We have about 120 thousand people working in the superyacht industry worldwide, and that is a lot of jobs sustained by what is basically about 5 and a half thousand superyachts.”
Looking ahead to the goals that the Society is targeting in the coming years, Melissa and Ken explain how a big initiative currently being pushed is crew mental health and welfare. “It is a stressful job working on superyachts,” said Ken, “people think it’s all glamour and glitz but it is 18 to 20 hours days. So there is a lot of hardship that goes with this exciting lifestyle. It’s a cool job but it’s a hard job, and crew have to be resilient.” ISS hope to use their influence and network to enable captains and senior officials to bring this subject forward in the crew mess, developing a preventative approach rather than reactionary.
As Melissa puts it, “ISS is a true platform for a single voice in the industry, and we are all gathering together for a global collaboration for the betterment of the superyacht industry.”
MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
MYS 19: ISS, the Industry’s Global Network
MYS 19 ISS Interview