Shipping exhibition set to steal the show in the global industry
Posidonia 2006, one of the biggest international shipping exhibitions, is opening its gates to the public next Tuesday for four days at the Hellenikon Exhibition Center, expecting more than 16,000 visitors from 80 countries. Up to 3,000 visitors will come from abroad. With a 37-year history, the exhibition has seen participation grow year after year, reaching the figure of 1,600 exhibitors to cover an area of 26,500 square meters, said Themistoklis Vokos, the president of the Posidonia exhibition company. He saw demand for exposure in the event reach unprecedented levels. «The variety of exhibitors and visitors to our exhibition underscores the international reach of Posidonia and the leading position it has as a particularly important event for the global shipping community,» Vokos said. «This year there are 11 countries and territories participating for the first time. This makes us optimistic about the success of the exhibition,» he added. There will be a total of 25 national stands, from countries such as the US, the UK, Japan, Russia and South Korea. Exhibitors come from the whole specter of the shipping industry, covering sectors such as shipyards, shipbrokers, insurance companies, financial institutions, port authorities, national registers, etc. Standing out among first-time participants are Dubai Maritime City, the Japanese Equipment Marine Association, Atlas Copco Greece, Gnomon Marine, the Irish Maritime Development Office, the Flanders Investment & Trade from Belgium, Vivodi Telecom, MEK and Thrustmaster of Texas. The organizers consider as important the return of the national stand of Panama to Posidonia, having missed the previous two exhibitions, while visitors will be interested in the strong presence of Greek shipyards such as Elefsina Shipyards, Neorion Shipyards in Syros, Hellenic Shipyards-Thyssen Group Marine Systems and the Halkida Shipyards. «The increased interest of the global shipping community in Posidonia is associated with the Greek commercial fleet’s renewal program, the average age of which has fallen to 15.3 years,» Vokos said.
