The conference started with a memorable welcoming speech by Admiral (Rtd) Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abd Jamal, speaking on behalf of the organising committee. The event then continued with an excellent keynote address by the Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment of Malaysia, Dato' Seri Law Hieng Ding. A full hall also witnessed a colourful official opening ceremonial by the Honourable Minister himself.
A total of thirty papers from various fraternities, both local and from overseas, were presented during the conference, which attracted more than 150 participants, mostly from local government agencies, private companies and local institutions of higher learning.
The conference was divided into two sessions (hydrography and oceanography) covering a broad spectrum of topics and interesting subjects. In the hydrographic session, there were only a few papers that emphasised the latest issues in hydrographic surveying, such as multibeam operation and electronic charts. Other papers covered general topics such as GIS, remote sensing, oil and gas surveying, and also training and education in the hydrographic industry.
During the oceanographic session papers covered mainly near-shore and offshore oceanographic applications. A variety of oceanographic topics were presented involving coastal zone engineering, wave modelling, artificial reef management and mean sea level determination, as well as remote sensing application for oceanography.

Exhibition
The PWTC is a very strategic and well-known venue for exhibitions in this region. During this particular event the exhibition hall is open to the public and it is therefore not surprising that there was a large crowd on the opening day. A total of 26 exhibitors, both local and from overseas and drawn from various companies and manufacturers took part in the exhibition. Refreshments during the conference were served in the exhibition hall, offering exhibitors an opportunity to mix with visitors.

Final Remarks
Considering that this was the first event in this region to combine hydrography and oceanography subjects on one platform, it was a success. As announced by the Honourable Minister in his keynote address, Malaysia has been accepted as a member of the Executive Council of IOC for the next two years. This was agreed on 30th June 2003, at the Twenty-second Session of the General Assembly of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO held in Paris. It makes it possible for this event to become a catalyst for Malaysia and the Southeast Asia region to propel the marine industry closer towards achieving its long-term objectives.
The IHOCE'03 was on the right track to become a trend-setting and unique opportunity for the hydrographic and oceanographic industry to market products and services in this region. Full credit should be given to the main organiser, F&R Exhibition and Conference Sdn Bhd and the Hydrographic Department of the Royal Malaysian Navy, the National Oceanographic Directorate and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia as co-organisers who worked hard to make this event successful. Perhaps IHOCE'03 would be even more memorable if the organisers provided some social activities such as 'ice-breaker' cocktails and a culture show dinner. Pre-arranged visits for participants and exhibitors to other world-famous landmarks located nearby, such as the Petronas Twin Towers or Putrajaya, might also be an idea to look into for the next IHOCE in 2005.