The formidable return of the most prominent international shipping exhibition

Posidonia 2022 will be held this summer from June 6-10 with the 27th edition of the world’s most prestigious shipping event gearing up to welcome the international maritime community back to its Athens Metropolitan Expo venue, following the pandemic-induced disruption of the 2020 event.

This year’s Posidonia is of particular importance for the global shipping community. First of all, because it will finally take place, four years after the previous event, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But most importantly, because in a rapidly changing international environment, where fundamental changes are shaping the future, the event will bring the members of the international shipping community together after a long time, providing them with the opportunity to meet in person, look back to what has happened the past four years and set the next day’s agenda for shipping, which will allow it to tackle imminent challenges.

International dialogue

Confirmed participations highlight that the 27th edition of Posidonia is on course to overcome its record set in the pre-pandemic edition of 2018, this time with many newcomers from the US, Europe and also Greece. This year’s Posidonia will again be the home of shipping for two weeks, providing ample opportunity to network with leaders of industry, showcase latest developments in maritime engineering and technologies and engage in discussions that shape the international discourse on the sector’s most important issues. Even exhibitors from the Far East, despite the adverse conditions and difficulties they still face in travelling overseas, have confirmed their participation and Posidonia will once more welcome exhibitors from Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia and Singapore. There will also be new entries from Australia.

The agenda

This year’s agenda is fuller than ever: The booming dry bulk and container markets, the decarbonisation debate, new technological challenges and how they reshape the industry, the uncertainty of what the future holds in a post-pandemic world, as well as the geopolitical instability of recent months in Eastern Europe will be some of the topics to be addressed during the conference programme of the event.

The Posidonia 2022 Conference and Seminars Program’s lineup of distinguished speakers and rich content of inspirational keynote speeches, thought-provoking panel discussions, powerful presentations, seminars and workshops is designed to trigger the entrepreneurial spirit of the international maritime community in its quest for success during these economically and geopolitically challenging circumstances.

The setting

Posidonia 2022 will offer the global shipping community the ideal platform to meet with the world’s leading classification societies, to align a collective response to the IMO mandate for an at least 40% reduction of shipping’s average carbon intensity, compared to 2008. At the same time, a significant number of marine industry-focused tech startups from around the world will showcase their solutions and platforms at the Exhibition. Market forces, combined with increasing regulatory and social pressures to reduce carbon efficiencies are driving owner and operator interest in the accelerated adoption of new technologies that improve competitiveness and fuel efficiencies.

Significant messages

“We can’t wait to host exhibitors, visitors and discussions on all these and even more topics in Posidonia 2022. We have been preparing intensively for the past two years, we have followed all the developments in the shipping industry, we have talked to all stakeholders and leaders of the industry and our goal is to delve into all the major issues for shipping”, says Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions S.A. “We always aim to communicate with all stakeholders, so that every voice is heard at Posidonia and every possible solution is presented through an open and meaningful dialogue. And especially this year we expect very important messages to come from Posidonia and affect developments in the industry for the coming years” he adds.

The newly elected President of the Union of Greek Shipowners (EEE) Mrs Melina Travlou, sends her own message of support to the organization of Posidonia 2022: “The world-established shipping exhibition of Posidonia returns after 4 years but still on strong basis, aiming not only to meet the high expectations of the international shipping community but to exceed them”.

“Having received the honour of leading our historic Union, the institutional representative of Greek shipping, which holds about 20% of world tonnage and 59% of the European Union-controlled fleet, on behalf of our Board of Directors, we are confident that this important exhibition will be successful for the international shipping industry, which is a key pillar of world trade and economic development,” says Mrs Travlou.

“Posidonia 2022 offers to the shipping community opportunities for collaboration in commonly accepted principles and mutually beneficial strategies for an environmentally friendly and sustainable shipping industry, both in the short and long term,” she added.

Posidonia is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, the Union of Greek Shipowners and the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and with the support of the Municipality of Piraeus and the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee.