The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) recently announced that its 2024 Conference & Expo will take place at the Omni Hotel in Providence, R.I. from September 16-20. The event remains a pivotal platform for the marine electronics industry, featuring extensive technical training sessions, educational tracks and networking opportunities designed to advance industry knowledge and business growth.

Attendees will be able to engage in over 20 manufacturer-specific technical training sessions and more than 10 educational tracks covering a range of topics from business management to advanced installation techniques. The manufacturer expo hall will showcase the latest marine electronic innovations with
expanded hours for 2024. Receptions will offer additional networking opportunities on the first two evenings and the NMEA Product of Excellence Awards Banquet is scheduled for Thursday evening.

“I am thrilled to see the NMEA Conference & Expo heading to Providence, RI, a hub for marine industry professionals in the Northeast. As we continue to rotate the location of our event nationwide, it enables greater access and participation from our diverse membership,” Mark Reedenauer, NMEA President & Executive Director, said. “This year, we’re excited to once again offer in-person technical training directly from manufacturers, some of which is exclusively available only at the NMEA event. We invite industry professionals from all sectors to join us for this unparalleled training and networking opportunity.”

Registration for the conference will open in late May 2024, with options for full-week or single-day passes. NMEA Dealer, Master Dealer, Boat Builder, and Trade members receive a complimentary registration as part of their membership benefits.

NMEA will also offer the following full-day marine electronics installer training courses. A different registration fee applies for these day-long classes:

• Basic NMEA Installer Training (MEI), Monday, Sept. 16
• Basic NMEA 2000 Installer Training, Tuesday, Sept. 17
• Advanced NMEA 2000 Installer Training, Wednesday, Sept. 18
• Advanced NMEA Installer Training (AMEI), Thursday, Sept. 19
• Advanced NMEA 2000 Installer Training, Friday, Sept. 20

More information and a detailed preliminary schedule of all 2024 Conference & Expo events will be added and available on the NMEA website in the coming months.

PROVIDENCE — A local real estate firm is proposing a 30-story apartment tower next to the Hilton hotel on Atwells Avenue — a project that has been nearly two decades in the making.

PRI I LP, a firm that also owns the Hilton hotel, submitted preliminary plans to the city to demolish the hotel’s parking garage and a one-story function room attached to the building in order to construct a residential building with 216 units with an eight-story podium parking deck with 248 spaces.

The hotel building at 21 Atwells Ave., which was formerly the Holiday Inn, is not part of the new construction, according to the plans. First constructed in 1966, the former Holiday Inn was the first new hotel in Providence since the Biltmore (now known as the Graduate Providence Hotel) was built in 1922.

According to PRI I’s plans, the apartments would consist of a mix of 18 studio, 108 one-bedroom units, 82 two-bedroom units, and eight three-bedroom units, according to plans unveiled during a Downtown Design Review Committee meeting on Monday night. The committee approved the preliminary plan stage of review for new construction; final plans will need to be submitted to the city for review and approval.

PRI I is a subsidiary of The Procaccianti Group, a Cranston-based real estate investment and management company. The company has been involved in the development of several key properties around the state, including the new Neon Marketplaces and the Renaissance Providence Hotel. In the plans, PRI I has dubbed the proposed building as the “TPG Tower.”

If PRI I’s plans become reality, the tower would stand more than 300 feet above Atwells Avenue, and 326 feet above the dead-end street that connects the hotel with the Amica Mutual Pavilion. It would also become a prominent piece of Providence’s skyline along Interstate 95.

This isn’t the first time Procaccianti has proposed a residential tower at the site.

Around 2005, Procaccianti had proposed “The Power Block,” a nearly $1 billion real estate investment that reached from the former Westin Hotel (now the Omni Providence Hotel), past the Rhode Island Convention Center and the AMP, and up to what is now the Hilton hotel. At the time, Procaccianti executives said the “power block” would connect a corridor of shops, restaurants, hotels, and event spaces in order to attract large conventions to Providence.

Of that hefty proposal, $150 million would go to renovating the Holiday Inn to become a Hilton, add a nationally-known steak restaurant and coffee shop, and to construct a 27-story tower with 150 condominiums. Procaccianti did renovate the hotel around 2006 and added a Starbucks store on the ground floor. The Vig, a sports bar, currently serves burgers and wings in the hotel’s lobby. But the residential tower was never constructed.

Both of the existing structures that would be demolished were built in the late 1960s and early 1970s and do not have any historical significance. The company also deemed that rehabilitation or adaption of the structures was “infeasible.”

“Given the housing shortage in the Providence area, the residential component was more viable than commercial, retail, or other types of uses,” wrote Ron M. Hadar, Procaccianti’s general counsel, in the plans filed to the city.

It’s not yet clear when the company plans to begin the demolition. Ralph Izzi, Procaccianti’s vice president of public affairs, said the firm is still in its pre-development phase. In an email to the Globe on Monday night, he declined to say what the project will cost.

“Safe to say this will be one of the most substantial developments in the last 50 years in downtown Providence since we built the 32-story residential (The Residences Providence) tower in 2007, which — at the time — was the tallest high rise built in the prior 34 years,” said Izzi.

Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.

19-year-old Jack Panayotou looked comfortable in his Rhode Island FC debut.

On Friday, it was announced that Panayotou would join RIFC on loan from the New England Revolution. One day later, the midfielder contributed an 81-minute performance in a 2-2 draw against the undefeated Sacramento Republic.

The midfielder was dynamic, showing an ability to advance the ball up the field. He also displayed his set-piece prowess as he was responsible for six corners.

His best service came in the 42nd minute when his cross found the head of Karifa Yao to give the home side a 2-1 lead.

Panayotou had 36 touches, created four chances (the most in the game), and completed 16 of 20 passes. He was 2/3 on successful dribbles, 4/8 on successful crosses, and 4/6 on ground duels. He was also fouled twice.

Head coach Khano Smith praised Panayotou after the game.

“He’s clever,” Smith said. “He’s a smart player. He’s intelligent. He picks up good positions. He knows how to find space. Sometimes in a game where everybody is moving around, just stand still. He knows how to do that really well. He just knows how to arrive into open space when it’s available.

“He’s aware and he’s clever. Technically very good. You saw an improvement on our set pieces. The goal came from a set piece from his service. He just adds that extra little bit of quality.

“He’s an MLS player. He was in a position at that club where they had other quality players, so he’s finding playing time here. So we’re happy to have him.”

Panayotou signed a first-team contract with the Revolution on Jan. 10, 2023.

The Homegrown has since made 12 MLS appearances, including two starts. With the second team, he has 10 goals and four assists in 26 appearances (19 starts).

Smith noted that he’s been keeping an eye on Panayotou.

“We’ve been missing a player that can do the things that he does, so we’ve been tracking him,” Smith said. “Some of our staff has worked with him in the Revs Academy before so we know his qualities as a player and as a person.

“We want to help his development. It’s ultimately about helping him too.

“But he probably feels and they probably feel that he’s probably exceeded or mastered the Next Pro level, so to speak, so he needs something a little bit more and that’s playing against men. That’s playing against grown men. A lot of times in MLS Next Pro games, you’re playing against kids. For Jack’s development to keep going, he needs to play against men.”