See you in New Orleans for DEMA Show 2026!
The DEMA Show is returning to New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in 2026. At the show, PADI® Staff are excited to connect with PADI Members from around the world, present informative miniseminars, network with industry partners, and enjoy the New Orleans culture and food. Check out the events happening throughout the week, both in person and virtually. We look forward to seeing you in The Big Easy in just a few short months!
Book Your Room with PADI at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
Book your room at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel for the DEMA Show 2026 and be in the center of the action. Room rates start at $259 * US (plus tax and fees). You’ll receive complimentary WiFi and access to the fitness center.
*Rates subject to change without notice
PADI DEMA Events
- PADI Social
- PADI Community Sessions
- Miniseminars, Workshops, and Leadership Sessions
- Learn
- Keep
- Teach
- Mission
- Business
- Training
- Virtual Miniseminar Series
PADI Social at The Fillmore New Orleans
Monday, 2 November, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Grab a drink in the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel lobby and join PADI Staff as we’re guided down the streets of New Orleans by a Grand Marshal and second-line brass band to the doors of the PADI Social venue. At The Fillmore, you’ll get to mix and mingle with members from around the world, join in PADI’s 60th Anniversary celebrations, hear the latest from PADI Worldwide President and CEO Drew Richardson on the state of the industry, and look ahead to 2027.
*Distance from the hotel to the venue is 0.8 kilometres/0.5 miles. If you prefer to skip the second line walk, meet up at The Fillmore at 7:00 pm EST.
PADI Community Sessions at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Women in Diving: Insights, Action & Community
Date and time TBD
Be part of one of the industry’s most engaging and impactful conversations! Women in Diving: Insights, Action & Community is an energetic, interactive experience bringing together dive professionals, leaders and changemakers to explore the future of women in diving. Through live audience polling, powerful industry insights, collaborative workshops, and meaningful networking, attendees will help uncover real challenges and spark actionable solutions that strengthen our industry. From mentorship and leadership to innovation and community, this dynamic event, sponsored by DAN, is designed to inspire connection, elevate voices and turn ideas into momentum, followed by a networking happy hour you won’t want to miss!
The Equalization Exchange: Freedivers, Mermaids & Industry Gathering
Date and time TBD
This two-hour event is for PADI Freediver™ and PADI Mermaid™ Instructors and Instructor Trainers, as well as dive centers and resorts interested in offering or expanding these programs.
The first hour is dedicated to Freedivers and Mermaids, during which you’ll connect with peers, celebrate achievements and strengthen your community in a relaxed, social setting. In the second hour, dive centers and resorts join to expand the conversation through networking and partnership-building. Explore opportunities to collaborate, grow your programs and connect with professionals shaping the future of these disciplines.
Whether you’re building your network, sharing expertise, or exploring new business opportunities, this event brings the community together to strengthen, bolster, and support one another.
Miniseminars, Workshops, and Leadership Sessions at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Join these engaging and dynamic one-hour miniseminars or two-hour workshops at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center during the week of the DEMA Show. By attending both the Quality and Risk Management and PADI Standards: Year in Review miniseminars, along with two additional presentations, PADI Members can regain Teaching status after having not renewed for one to three years. To earn seminar credits toward the PADI Master Instructor rating or the Course Director Training Course application, PADI Members receive one credit for every three one-hour PADI miniseminars attended.
Workshops may include a panel of your peers, hands-on help, and the opportunity for questions and collaboration. PADI Members receive three credits for every two-hour PADI miniseminar workshop attended. Attendance validation is required for credit and forms will be available at the seminars.
Learn
Attract new divers and convert curiosity into participation. These sessions focus on modern marketing strategies, digital visibility, and practical tools to help you grow diver acquisition and expand your customer base.
From Clicks to Customers: Maximizing Results with PADI Adventures
This session will be offered in English and Spanish.
For PADI Dive Centers looking to turn interest into real bookings, this interactive session combines proven strategies with hands-on application. Hear directly from operators who are successfully using PADI AdventuresÔ and tools within the PADI digital ecosystem to grow their businesses. With guidance from PADI Staff and experienced peers, you’ll work on your own Adventures listings – learning how to create, optimize and position them to drive more conversions. Bring your laptop and leave with a stronger, more effective presence designed to turn online visibility into confirmed guests.
AI for Growing the Next Generation of Divers – Practical, Scalable Applications for a Dive Business
Curious about how artificial intelligence (AI) can help your dive business? This session breaks down practical, real-world applications of AI across marketing, customer interaction and day-to-day operations. You’ll gain simple, actionable ideas to start using AI more effectively without overcomplicating your workflow.
Keep
Strengthen loyalty, deepen engagement and keep divers connected to your business long after certification. These sessions explore how communication, community and the PADI ecosystem can increase retention, continuing education and repeat business.
The Art of the Dive Briefing: Engaging Divers, Growing Courses and Building Loyalty
Your dive briefing may be the most powerful sales and retention tool you’re not fully using.
In this high-impact session, learn how to turn ordinary briefings and debriefings into engaging experiences that build trust, encourage continuing education, increase sales, and keep divers coming back. Explore practical strategies for blending safety, storytelling, humor, conservation and confidence-building into conversations that feel natural, not scripted. From the dive boat to the classroom, you’ll discover how great communication can strengthen customer loyalty, grow your courses and create memorable experiences divers want to share with others.
Drive Diver Engagement, Leverage PADI Club and Media
Discover how you can create deeper customer loyalty and drive repeat business by combining engaging community experiences with the reach and benefits of PADI ClubÔ and PADI Media. This session will explore practical ways to connect with divers beyond certification, strengthen retention, and leverage the power of the PADI ecosystem to grow engagement and revenue.
Teach
Develop the next generation of dive professionals. From identifying future leaders to growing professional-level training programs, these sessions focus on mentorship, career pathways and building a sustainable instructor pipeline.
2026 Course Director Roundtable
Wednesday, 4 November: 8:30 am – 11:00 am
Registration fee: $40 USD, live event
Connect with fellow Course Directors in a dynamic roundtable setting designed for shared learning and collaboration. Exchange ideas, discover new strategies to grow your Instructor Development business, and gain fresh insights from your peers and the PADI team. Frequent Trainer award recipients will be recognized during the session.
To sign up for the program, register here or contact Yvonne Lara at (800) 729 7234 (US and Canada only), or +1 (949) 858 7234, ext. 2296.
2026 IDC Staff Instructor Roundtable
Thursday, 5 November: 8:30 am – 11:00 am
Registration fee: $40 USD, live event
Join fellow IDC Staff Instructors in an interactive, roundtable environment focused on mentorship and professional development. Share ideas, learn how to expand your impact through mentoring, and explore pathways like the CDTC to grow your career.
To sign up for the program, register here or contact Yvonne Lara at (800) 729 7234 (US and Canada only), or +1 (949) 858 7234, ext. 2296.
The CDTC Roadmap: Your Guide to Prerequisites, Application and What It Takes to Succeed
Unlock the pinnacle of PADI Professional achievement with insights into the Course Director Training Course. Explore the prerequisites, application procedures, and acceptance protocols. Discover strategies to maximize your investment and become a successful instructor trainer, leveraging the latest in CDTC preparation.
From Student to Instructor: Building a Scalable Instructor Pipeline
If you are interested in growing your pro-level courses, this presentation is for you. You’ll learn how to teach your instructors how to spot candidates during courses and to plant the seed for pro training early. You’ll gain ideas on how to break down the presentation of the journey and how to best package the course offerings as a career/lifestyle upgrade, not just a series of certifications.
Mission
Discover how purpose-driven diving can create lasting impact for both the ocean and your business. These sessions explore conservation, inclusivity and community initiatives that strengthen diver engagement while advancing the future of diving.
The Future of Diving: From Exploration to Ocean Protection
This is session one of two in the AWARE seminar series.
As PADI marks 60 years of exploring and protecting the ocean, one truth has become clear: the future of diving and the future of the ocean are inseparable. In this session, the PADI AWARE Foundation® will share how the global dive community is evolving from participants to powerful contributors in ocean conservation. Through innovations like Dive Against Debris®, the AWARE Biodiversity Survey, and the Global Shark & Ray Census, divers are now generating critical data that inform policy, support Marine Protected Areas and advance scientific research worldwide.
Discover how PADI Members play a critical role in this transformation, and how integrating conservation into everyday dive experiences can strengthen customer loyalty, increase engagement and position your business for long-term success. This session will introduce a clear framework for how dive centers and professionals can activate divers, contribute to measurable impact, and be part of a global movement driving ocean protection at scale.
Turning Purpose Into Profit: Growing Your Dive Business Through Conservation
This is session two of two in the AWARE seminar series. The Future of Diving: From Exploration to Ocean Protection is the recommended prerequisite for this seminar.
Today’s divers are seeking more than just experiences – they’re looking for purpose, connection and impact. Dive centers that embrace conservation are not only helping protect the ocean, they’re building stronger, more resilient businesses. This session will provide practical strategies for integrating conservation into your operations in ways that drive diver acquisition, increase retention, and unlock new revenue opportunities.
Learn how to:
• Activate divers through citizen science and conservation experiences
• Build loyalty and repeat engagement through purpose-driven programming
• Leverage initiatives like 100% AWARE, Eco Centers, and Adopt the Blue™ to differentiate your business
• Simplify your approach with a clear pathway for engagement and growth
Whether you are just getting started or looking to scale your impact, this session will show how conservation can become a powerful engine for both ocean protection and business success.
PADI Adaptive Services Facilities and the Adaptive Techniques Specialty Program
Discover how you can make diving accessible to all – and position your dive center as a leader in purpose-driven, people-first diving. In this inspiring and practical session, learn how becoming a PADI Adaptive Services Facility can help you grow your business, reach new customers, and make your dive center a pillar of inclusivity and community driven diving. You will gain insights into how offering the PADI Adaptive Techniques Specialty courses, including a new expansive course designed to better equip those supporting divers with disabilities, gives you and your team the tools to confidently deliver adaptive experiences.
Business
Explore the tools, platforms and digital strategies shaping the future of the dive industry. These sessions provide insight into PADI’s evolving ecosystem and how connected technologies can help streamline operations and enhance diver experiences.
Connected Tools. Better Experiences. 
This session will be offered in English and Spanish.
Discover how PADI’s digital ecosystem can help simplify the business of dive training. This session will provide practical guidance, tips and insights for using tools such as the Student Management Portal, the PADI App™ and learning platforms more effectively, while also sharing the broader vision for how digital tools will continue evolving to support you.
PADI’s Digital Experience – Foundation Set. Evolution Ahead.
Explore PADI’s evolving product vision and digital transformation strategy with PADI’s Chief Product Officer. This presentation will highlight progress made across PADI’s digital ecosystem, the strategic vision guiding future development and how these efforts are designed to help you operate more efficiently, engage divers more effectively and grow your businesses in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
Training
Stay current, confident and informed with the latest updates in diver training, standards and risk management. These sessions are designed to support instructional quality, safety and operational excellence across your business.
Quality and Risk Management (Required for credit) 
This session will be offered in English and Spanish.
Risk management begins with preventing incidents and developing a solid plan for responding to unexpected events. Assess your preparedness to make difficult decisions by analyzing real dive incidents and prioritizing what matters most: diver safety. Additionally, you will learn how to manage risk in diver-education programs and throughout your dive business by examining common consumer complaints and issues identified in Course Evaluation Questionnaires (CEQs), and the most frequently reported injuries.
PADI Standards: Year in Review (Required for credit)
Training standards directly impact your daily teaching practices, so it’s important to integrate any changes and updates into your programs. This miniseminar will review the changes released this year. You can also get answers to frequently asked questions and learn how to stay informed about the latest training news.
Separating Fact from Fiction in Diver Training
Explore the beliefs, urban legends and common misconceptions that continue to shape diver training today. In this lively, interactive session, discover current best practices, challenge outdated thinking and gain fresh perspectives that can strengthen your teaching and diver education programs.
Virtual Miniseminar Series
These miniseminars will be “on demand” starting the week of the DEMA Show and beyond. View your favorite topics in person and view the updates after the show to maximize your time on the show floor. Recordings will be posted in the Webinar and Events section of the Marketing Hub the week after the DEMA Show.
Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer
Thursday, 19 November, 12:00 – 5:00 pm PST
Fee: $695 US; online event
As an Emergency First Response® Instructor Trainer, you’ll expand your teaching opportunities and boost your income by training others to become EFR® Instructors. This half-day virtual program is open to EFR Instructors who have completed the preparatory online components and have conducted at least five EFR courses or issued at least 25 EFR course completion cards. This program includes access to the online pre-study presentations and to the live online practical component. (Make sure you can run GoToWebinar and GoToMeeting software.)
Please register here or contact Yvonne Lara at (800) 729 7234 (US and Canada only), or +1
(949) 858 7234, ext. 2296.
PADI Public Safety Diver and Advanced Public Safety Diver Instructor Update
Join this webinar to learn about the latest updates and news regarding the PADI Public Safety Diver and the Advanced Public Safety Diver programs. You will learn more about teaching these recently revised and expanded courses, and how to get involved.
PADI TecRec Instructor Update
Review recent changes made to PADI® TecRec® program standards and conduct recommendations including the Tec Diver, Tec Trimix, Tec Sidemount, Tec CCR Diver courses, as well as some TecRec distinctive specialties. This update also looks at future plans, course linking, marketing and other important logistical considerations.
Freediver Instructor Update
Navigate through essential updates regarding the PADI Freediver™ program, as well as related
standards and conduct recommendations. Discover innovative marketing approaches and material considerations along with future developments, distinctive specialties, and other invaluable program opportunities.
Mermaid Instructor Update
Explore the latest enhancements in the PADI Mermaid™ program along with related standards and conduct considerations. Immerse yourself in effective marketing strategies and make the most of PADI Mermaid eLearning offerings. Also, look at future developments, distinctive specialties, and other important program opportunities.
Grow Your Business with Niche Markets
Ignite your entrepreneurial spirit and uncover the secrets to leveraging niche diving markets for exponential growth in training, travel and sales. Discover how the PADI TecRec, Public Safety Diver, Freediver, Mermaid, and Adaptive Techniques programs can revolutionize your business landscape!
