Inland Marine Expo 2026 Review
February 5, 2026
IMX is one of the few U.S. trade shows built around the inland and intracoastal operating reality, towing and barge, fleeting, terminals, shipyards, dredging, and the vendors that keep those assets working. If you want a room that understands river constraints, maintenance cycles, and compliance plus ops issues, this is one of the cleanest “everyone is speaking the same language” events on the calendar.
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Inland Marine Expo 2026 — Event Snapshot
May 27–29, 2026Dates
May 27–29, 2026
City
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Venue
Music City Center
Address
201 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville, TN 37203
Note: Some event materials also list the venue as “201 Fifth Ave S” for the same convention center.
Event fit
Inland and intracoastal marine transportation, logistics, terminals, shipyards, dredging, and service providers
Produced by
The Waterways Journal (IMX is produced by the Waterways Journal team)
Official site
Venue map
Location note: This is a walkable downtown convention center, so hotels, meals, and meetups tend to be easy to coordinate without long transfers.
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What makes IMX different
Inland and intracoastal focus, not a generic marine showIMX is positioned specifically for the inland and intracoastal marine transportation ecosystem, which changes the conversations. You tend to get more practical ops, maintenance, and terminal interface talk, and less “one-size-fits-all” bluewater framing.
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Equipment and services that touch daily operations
The exhibitor mix typically tracks what inland operators buy: towboat and barge services, fleet and harbor support, shipyard and repair capability,
engineering and surveying, and marine contractors including dredging.
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Inland network lens
The event framing is about strengthening commerce across waterways, canals, lakes, and coastal routes.
That tends to pull in both transportation and logistics stakeholders, not only vessel-side teams.
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Produced by an inland industry publisher
Being produced by The Waterways Journal shapes the tone.
It usually feels more like an industry working session plus expo, and less like a broad marketing-first event.
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Recognition programs built into the week
IMX runs award programs tied to the event week, including the 40 Under 40 Award and a legacy service award.
That creates extra senior attendance and more structured networking moments.
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Best-fit attendees
Towboat and barge operators, fleet management and port captains, barge and towboat builders and repair yards,
fleeting and harbor service providers, terminals and stevedores, dredging and marine construction teams, marine engineers and surveyors,
and inland-facing vendors supporting safety, maintenance, compliance, training, and operations.
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2026 week game plan
May 27–29 • Nashville • Music City CenterIMX runs as a three-day industry week anchored by the expo floor. The best ROI comes from pre-booked meetings, a short target list, and using the show hours to confirm who can actually move a project forward when you get back home.
Suggested time split per day
Built for an expo and a meeting-heavy week
Expo floor scouting
45%
Targeted meetings
40%
Education and events
15%
Practical rule: every booth conversation ends with one of three outcomes. Next step meeting booked, quote path confirmed, or disqualified fast.
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Known week anchors to plan around
Wednesday, May 27
Opening reception on the tradeshow floor is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This is usually the best time to re-connect with existing suppliers and lock in next-day meetings.
Thursday, May 28
Main exhibit day. Exhibit hours are listed as 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you can only do one full day, this is typically the most efficient.
Friday, May 29
Exhibit hours are listed as 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Use the morning for final booth visits and to convert “maybe” conversations into a specific follow-up.
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Your three outcomes list
✅ Book it
Meeting on calendar with names, time, and purpose. If needed, pick a nearby lobby spot and share a pin.
📩 Quote path
Confirm the RFQ format, lead time, and who signs off. Leave with the right email and a template you can send that night.
🧹 Disqualify fast
If they cannot serve your geography, equipment class, or compliance requirements, move on and protect your time.
Schedule note: The event publishes a detailed agenda and updates on the official IMX site under “2026 Schedule.”
Operators and fleet teams
- Bring your top 3 reliability pain points and the parts or services that repeatedly delay return-to-service.
- Ask vendors for lead times, repair windows, and what usually blows up a schedule.
- Get references by river system and vessel class, not generic case studies.
Terminals and logistics
- Bring your throughput constraints and where handoffs break, gate, yard, berth, tug assist, or documentation.
- Look for vendors that shorten dwell time or reduce rework, not only those that add reporting.
- Validate integration realities with dispatch, billing, and asset tracking.
Shipyards, repair, and contractors
- Bring your capacity calendar and the jobs you cannot staff or material right now.
- Use IMX to build overflow partnerships and supplier redundancies.
- Leave with 3 vendors you can call when a customer demands an impossible turnaround.
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Practical notes for Nashville and the venue
Music City CenterMusic City Center is downtown and walkable. Treat the week like a “short-transfer” event: stay close, keep meetings tight, and you can stack more conversations per day.
Airport and timing
- Primary airport: Nashville International Airport (BNA).
- For a Wednesday reception start, arriving by midday reduces risk if flights slip.
- If you have back-to-back meetings Thursday morning, fly in Tuesday night.
Ground transport
- Rideshare is typically the simplest option from BNA to downtown.
- If you bring a group, pick one shared pickup and one shared meeting point.
- Keep meeting locations inside a short walking radius so you do not lose time to traffic.
Parking and entry
- The event’s Attendee FAQs point to multiple parking options around Music City Center.
- If you drive in daily, plan to arrive early on Thursday for the smoothest entry.
- Save the venue address and share it in your team chat before travel day.
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Make it easier for your team to execute
Pick one lodging pattern and one daily start time for the whole team. The win is fewer missed openings, fewer “where are you” texts,
and more time on the floor with decision-makers.
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Night-before checklist
- Write your top 5 targets and what you need from each: quote, lead time, service coverage, or technical confirmation.
- Draft one “post-show RFQ” email template and save it for copy-paste.
- Bring a one-page spec sheet for your most common requirement to avoid re-explaining it 10 times.
- Block your anchor times: opening reception, full exhibit day, final day closeout.
- Set a team regroup time each day for a 10-minute recap and next-day adjustments.
- Pack for comfortable walking and quick booth conversations: phone charger, badge lanyard, and a simple note-taking system.
Quick admin: If you are nominating someone for IMX recognition programs, the 40 Under 40 and the Mike Rushing Legacy Service Award information is on the IMX site under the About menu.