‘The shape of shipping in 10 years’ time’, will be one of the key themes for London International Shipping Week 2015 with the focus being on the important role industry, government and supranational authorities can play in helping shipping propel world trade.

Addressing an official LISW2015 launch event in London, Jeremy Penn, CEO of The Baltic Exchange and Chairman of the LISW Steering Group, underlined the importance of Government and industry working together as shipping looks to shape itself to meet the demands of the next decade.

He said: “It is all about innovation in shipping but this can only be achieved if there is joined up partnership between industry and Government. We want LISW2015, and the conference in particular, to help people think about the shape of shipping in 10 years’ time. What role will China be playing then; and how will India and Africa’s importance and influence have changed? How can shipping achieve the necessary 30%-40% reduction in operating costs as opposed to just 5% or 10%?”

London International Shipping Week 2015, which will build on the success of the inaugural event in 2013, will take place from September 7 to 11 throughout London with some UK regional events also being staged to highlight the strength and breadth of the UK’s maritime sector.

Leaders from every sector of the global shipping industry will descend on London during the week to take part in influential meetings, seminars and functions, culminating in a high level industry shipping conference and spectacular gala dinner.

More than 100 industry functions will provide a unique set of opportunities for leaders across all sectors of the international shipping industry and associated businesses including regulators, charterers, ship owners, ship managers, bunker suppliers, commodity traders and brokers, ship suppliers, port operators, insurers and shipping service providers.

LISW 2015 will be the ‘must attend’ event of the year and is organised by Shipping Innovation in association with the UK Department for Transport, The Baltic Exchange, Maritime London, Maritime UK, the UK Chamber of Shipping, UK Major Ports Group and The CityUK, the independent promotional body for UK financial and professional services.

The packed calendar of events already has the support of key maritime organisations, including global communications specialist Inmarsat, DGS Marine Group, international law firms Ince & Co, Norton Rose Fulbright and Holman Fenwick Willan, Lloyd’s Register Marine, The Baltic Exchange, Willis, Hill Dickinson, The Standard Club, Mersey Maritime, Associated British Ports, Bibby Ship Management, Brookes Bell Group, Clyde & Co, Gibraltar Port Authority, Port of London Authority, Port2Port, Nautilus International, ReedSmith, ShipAssist, Videotel and The Charterers P&I Club.

Visitors to LISW2015 can now download the official LISW2015 app. For iPhone and iPad versions please go to the App store and type in ‘London International Shipping Week’. For Android versions go to Google Play and type in ‘LISW’ to download the event app.

Further information can be found on the dedicated event website: www.londoninternationalshippingweek.com

 

Ship owners and shipping industry leaders have joined forces with global event organiser Shipping Innovation to launch the inaugural European Shipping Week (ESW) to be held in Brussels in the early part of 2015.

The week-long series of high level events will centre on a major conference and Gala Dinner celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA). It will bring together the major players in the shipping industry with the primary aim of promoting the strengths and the importance of European and global shipping to legislators in Brussels such as the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

The European Commission, through DG MOVE, has endorsed European Shipping Week and formal patronage is already being sought from it as well as the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

The initiative, which was the brainchild of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), will be run by a Steering Group made up of Europe’s main shipping organisations as well as the European Commission and Shipping Innovation. The shipping organisations involved on the Steering Group include: ECSA; Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Europe; European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA); Interferry; the European Dredging Association; the World Shipping Council, as well as the European Tugowners’ Association. Other European shipping associations may also be invited to support the initiative and hold relevant events during the week.

Welcoming the announcement of European Shipping Week, Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), said: “Hosting European Shipping Week gives the European and global shipping industry the ideal opportunity to demonstrate to the new European Parliament and the new European Commission why shipping in Europe is so important, particularly highlighting the industry’s potential to generate greater growth and jobs.

“For ECSA, an important aim of European Shipping Week will be to sell the merits of a quality shipping industry to those in Brussels whose job it is to legislate and make rules.”

ESWis organised by Shipping Innovation – a joint venture between Elaborate Communications and Petrospot and the driving force behind the highly successful London International Shipping Week (LISW). More details about the week-long line-up of events will be released in due course.

The official website will be launched shortly.

The British Government has once again thrust its full weight behind London International Shipping Week with an official visit to the LISW2015 stand at Posidonia in Greece by the British Ambassador in Athens followed by public shows of support at additional events by the head of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Sir Alan Massey and UK Shipping Minister Stephen Hammond MP. [Read more…]

The inaugural Maritime Logistics & Energy thematic within the International Festival for Business 2014 has finished in a blaze of glory.

Highlighting Liverpool’s international role as a mercantile, maritime and key global trade gateway city, the MLE fortnight’s 48 events came to a close on June 20^th. [Read more…]

Merseyside’s maritime sector has thrown open its doors to welcome the international shipping sector as the Maritime, Logistics & Energy thematic of the International Festival for Business begins this week.

Speaking on board the three-masted Tall Ship Kathleen and May, berthed in Albert Dock on the historic Liverpool waterfront, Jim Teasdale, Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime, welcomed the thousands of shipping industry guests attending the fortnight’s 48 events. [Read more…]