Carleen Lyden Walker
NORFOLK, Va. – Oct. 23, 2017 – (Marine NewsWire) More than 240 shipping industry professionals from 15 countries gathered earlier this month in Stamford, Connecticut, for the sixth Fleet Optimization Conference & Exhibition presented by SHIPPINGInsight.
The annual SHIPPINGInsight maritime technology conference and trade show took place Oct. 10-12 at the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa. The event encompassed two and one-half days of presentations, discussions, debates, exhibits and networking. A special highlight was the interactive roundtable of shipowners and ship managers who shared their perspectives and priorities with the delegates in an open question-and-answer format.
“Over the last five years the annual SHIPPINGInsight event has grown to become the Number One technology symposium for the North American maritime industry, and this year’s event was no exception,” said SHIPPINGInsight co-director Carleen Lyden Walker. “It’s a unique forum where shipping companies and technology experts from all segments of the maritime industry come together to discuss the challenges and solutions for ship and fleet optimization — in formal conference sessions and informally in the numerous networking events.”
Registered delegates included 39 executives from shipowners and ship management companies, as well as representatives from classification societies, flag states, P&I, oil/gas companies, technology suppliers, cybersecurity firms, software and IT companies, satellite service providers, shipyards, naval architects, consultants and professional services.
The annual SHIPPINGInsight Award was presented to Maersk Tankers and its technology partner ShipNet, honoring their achievements in advancing the state of the art in ship efficiency and fleet optimization. A Certificate of Merit was also awarded to Anglo-Eastern Ship Management and OceanManager Inc.
Major themes addressed in this year’s conference were:
- Efficient Ships Now and in the Future
- Digitalization and Cybersecurity
- Fuel and Propulsion Developments
- Optimizing Operations for Efficiency
- Regulatory Compliance and Ballast Water Treatment Alternatives
Conference keynote speakers were:
- Lois K. Zabrocky, President and CEO, International Seaways Inc.
- Cameron Mackey, Director and COO, Scorpio Tankers Inc.
- Angus Campbell, Corporate Director Energy Projects, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement
- Frank Coles, CEO, Transas
- Roger Holm, President, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions
- Mark Darley, President of Americas Marine, Lloyd’s Register
- Martial Claudepierre, LNG Business Development Director, Bureau Veritas Marine
- Boriana Farrar, Vice President-Counsel and Business Development Director, North America, Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc.
- Andy Davis, Transport Assurance Practice Director, NCC Group
- Jukka Merenluoto, Ecosystem Lead, One Sea
SHIPPINGInsight 2017 by the Numbers
- 244 registered delegates from 15 countries
- 39 shipping company executives
- 10 keynote speakers
- 5 themed sessions
- 1 interactive roundtable of shipowners and ship managers
- 48 panel and roundtable speakers
- 51 industry sponsors
- 46 exhibitors
- 15 media sponsors
- 6 supporting organizations
- 2 sponsored educational seminars
- 19 hours of scheduled networking events
Feedback from SHIPPINGInsight 2017
Angus Campbell, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, Conference Chairman: “As we prepare for significant change in the shipping industry, this event allows time to learn from and reflect on the views of industry leaders. The mix of shipping professionals attending facilitates balanced discussion, encouraging an open exchange of views and opinions. This forum is valuable, enabling delegates to gain insight and prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
Vinit Duggal, VP and Chief Information Security Officer, Intelsat: “This was Intelsat’s first time as a sponsor of SHIPPINGInsight, and we were very impressed with the quality of the program, the excellent choice of speakers, and the professionalism of the organizers. SHIPPINGInsight has created a unique collaborative environment where shipping companies and technology partners can come together to discuss interactively the challenges facing the shipping industry, such as cybersecurity – both in the conference sessions and the informal networking events.”
Capt. Steve Huvane, Marine Consultant, Heidmar Marine: “It’s been a very great pleasure to participate in a number of SHIPPINGInsight’s conferences over the past several years. They’ve consistently managed to organize excellent panels and roundtables with very knowledgeable speakers, who have been able to address so many of the most relevant technical and operational issues challenging the marine industry. I was especially interested in this year’s sessions on Digitalization, Cybersecurity and Optimizing Efficiency. I’ve never failed to come out of one of these sessions without a better understanding than when I came in. It’s also an outstanding exhibition of the latest new products in maritime technology.”
