"We are pleased to say that the gmec conference on yesterday's SMM Environmental Protection Day was a full success. This was truly a top-level event. The fact that it went down so well is an indication that the new SMM theme-day concept with one-day conferences and top-flight experts is the right approach," says Bernd Aufderheide, CEO and President of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. This was the second time the gmec conference was held in conjunction with SMM, the leading international maritime trade fair. "Setting the Green Course" was the motto of the event hosted jointly by Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH and Seatrade Communications Ltd. This year for the first time, the conference was not spread across two days but compressed into one of the five SMM theme days. SMM continues until Friday 12 September at the Hamburg fair site.
The gmec conference provides a platform for leading science and technology experts and executives from the maritime industry to share knowledge and exchange views. New solutions were proposed and discussed, addressing both the ecological and economic aspects relevant to the maritime sector. The conference programme was highly topical and featured top-level experts. The keynote address was given by Commander Ryan Allain, Chief Environmental Standards Division of the US Coast Guard Headquarters. The conference itself began with a discussion panel on "Sustainable shipping in 2030", moderated by news anchor Matt Frei of ITN Channel 4. The first expert panel, chaired by Intertanko's Managing Director Katharina Stanzel, examined the overarching topic of "Environmental Compliance". The discussion mainly revolved around retrofitting options and ship emissions. The second panel was titled "Operating Efficiency". Speakers included Aida Welker, (Director Maritime Industries, KfW IPEX-Bank), Jan Otto de Kat (Director Energy Efficiency, ABS), Lars Robert Pedersen (Deputy Secretary General, BIMCO) and Richard Bowcutt (Senior Vice President - Business Development and Marketing, Rolls-Royce), among others.
"The declared aim of gmec is to investigate and discuss today's key maritime environmental issues at the international level. The conference has lent fresh impetus to the discussion within the shipping industry, examining the relevant topics from a variety of perspectives. Making gmec part of SMM's Environmental Day has certainly been a great idea," says Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade Communications Limited and member of the gmec Steering Committee which is responsible for the conference programme. The 120 conference participants were especially pleased about being able to go directly from discussing current industry trends to studying innovative technologies at the SMM exhibition.
With more than 2,100 exhibitors and over 50,000 industry visitors, SMM is once again setting new standards this year. SMM is the undisputed Number One trade event of the global maritime industry. Every two years the leaders and decision makers of the maritime scene meet in Hamburg for this major trade fair.
The leading international maritime trade fair is accompanied by a generous conference programme. The series of conferences continues today with Security and Defence Day and MS&D, the international conference on maritime security and defence. Offshore day will follow tomorrow with the SMM Offshore Dialogue. Friday will be entirely dedicated to the Maritime Career Market, bringing together job seekers and employers. SMM 2014 is held under the patronage of German chancellor Angela Merkel. The next global maritime environmental congress, will again be organised as part of SMM 2016 (6 to 9 September 2016).
For further information please visit: www.smm-hamburg.com.
Press contact: Esther Scholz
Telephone: +49 (0)40-3569-2453;
E-mail: esther.scholz@hamburg-messe.de
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