Stage set for opening debate at Posidonia

Delegates and guests are set for a lively and thought provoking start to their Posidonia with a top-level panel discussing some of the most hotly debated issues of the day including trends to watch in newbuilding; second-hand and demolition markets; sector overviews  and game changers; investor sentiment and the paucity of finance; vessel valuations and resolving loan-to-value questions; and the opportunities and risks of technology and the 'connected ship'. 

Speakers in the opening session include Richard Fulford-Smith, Managing Partner of Affinity Shipping, Guy Campbell, Chairman of The Baltic Exchange, Christopher Wiernicki, Chairman of IACS, Klaus Stoltenberg, Global Head of Ship Finance of Deutsche Bank, Henriette Brent-Petersen, Managing Director, Shipping & Offshore Research of DVB Bank and Ioannis Martinos, Managing Director of Signal Maritime.

IMO Secretary-General, Lim Kitack will deliver the Forum Keynote and set the scene for the shipowners session immediately following.

Forum moderators Frank Dunne, Chairman & Partner of Watson Farley & Williams and TradeWinds Editor-in-Chief, Julian Bray will challenge a panel of influential ship owners on their views on a range of topics including; the markets, today and tomorrow; getting in right on the rebound - when and where to invest; acquisitions and how to capitalise on changing global commodity demand; understanding and profiting from the relationship between oil and shipping; balancing vessel portfolios; structural changes and consolidation; demand mega-trends and fleet positioning for the future. 

Offering insight into their strategy will be Patrick Rodgers, Chief Executive Officer of Euronav, Evangelos M. Marinakis, Chairman of Capital Maritime & Trading Corp., Athanasios J. Martinos, Managing Director of Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, Bob Burke, Chief Executive Officer of Ridgebury Tankers and Philippe Louis-Dreyfus, President of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and current President of BIMCO.

Emphasizing the wider value of attending, TradeWinds’ Jon Chaplin commented, ‘A major part of experiencing a great Posidonia week is networking in highly pleasant surroundings. We have built plenty of time into the programme for guests to catch up with friends and meet new contacts, including an evening party at Island Club & Restaurant co-hosted with Cass Technava Shipbroking on June 8th.’

With a limited number of seats available, the organisers are recommending places be reserved immediately before registration closes early, as has happened at the previous two events.

The TradeWinds Shipowners Forum is sponsored by GTT, Pictet, ABS, VesselsValue, Capital Product Partners, Wirana Shipping Corporation, The Baltic Exchange, Winterthur Gas & Diesel, The American Club, Nautisk, The Marshall Islands Registry, Dubai Maritime City Authority and Cass Technava Shipbroking.