ECONOMY

Posidonia 2016 set to host more participants than ever before

Posidonia 2016 set to host more participants than ever before

This year is evolving into a decisive one for the Greek shipping sector, with its figures at historic highs, while the challenges in the chartering markets, the institutional framework and financing are huge, to say the least. It is within this context that the global shipping community will convene in Athens next month for one of the sector’s biggest events, Posidonia, which will take place from June 6 to 10.

Posidonia 2016 is expected to be the biggest ever, with more than 1,800 exhibitors from 89 countries and 20,000 visitors. Owners, shipyards, suppliers, banks, insurers, telecoms, oil companies and many other businesses that play a vital role in the sector will be represented at the Metropolitan Expo center next to Athens International Airport, as well as at the dozens of meetings, conferences and functions set to take place across Attica in the context of the event. More than 200 shipyards will be present.

This year’s Posidonia will host 19 national stands. The biggest participant will be China, whose presence at the exhibition will exceed 1,000 square meters, followed by Japan and South Korea.

There will also be a notable presence of old and new maritime centers vying to attract Greek-owned shipping companies to their registers. These will include Singapore, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Malta and even Luxembourg, which will be there for the first time presenting its Cluster Maritime Luxembourgeois.

There will be stands as well as road shows by Dubai Maritime City from the United Arab Emirates, the Shanghai Maritime and Finance Excellence Center from China, and the Vancouver International Maritime Center from Canada.

Adding extra prestige to this year’s Posidonia will be the presence of the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Kitack Lim, and European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc.

Posidonia, which is held in Athens every two years, is expected to contribute some 60 million euros to the Greek economy this year, as the managing director of organizing company Posidonia Exhibitions SA, Theodoros Vokos, has told Kathimerini. This concerns revenues from the hosting of thousands of people, stand construction, customs and forwarding, corporate events and other activities. The conference and seminar program alone contains over 40 events this year.

The agenda will further include presentations of new products and technologies, discussions on current shipping issues, new environmental regulations and other significant matters. The scope of international interest in the event has expanded this year with the great participation of educational institutions, as more than 10 Greek and foreign universities will be present, including the World Maritime University of the IMO.

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