Inaugural seafarer-led event reaps reward at Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global 2024

The Seatrade Maritime inaugural meet and greet was hosted in partnership with Tommy Olofsen, Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global conference chairperson, and Carl King, founder of Seafarer Social. Joining them were 15 cadets from one of The Philippines’ most distinguished maritime schools, MAAP, alongside 10 rising star seafarers, some of whom are also building large followings on social media.

This included Ivan Guzman, cadet and educational content creator from Pacific Basin, recognised as Personality of the Year at the 2024 Seatrade Maritime Awards for his efforts to promote seafaring as a career choice to almost 2.5 million followers. Chief engineer Mark Phillip Laurilla, aka social media influencer @ChiefMAKOi, and KC Abigail Chin, second officer at Wallem Shipping and seafarer of the year nominee - were also among the guests.

Chris Morley, Group Director of Maritime Events, Informa Markets, explained: “Sea cadets are the future of the maritime industry, and what better way to inspire their career choices than giving them the opportunity to meet active seafarers in person and learn about the realities of life at sea at our dedicated show for crewing – especially from those who are actively sharing their stories on social media. Given how influential those channels are, it was the perfect opportunity to bring all these elements together in one place and really energise the conversation.”

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The networking event offered an exclusive safe space for seafarers to share their personal stories, and for cadets to express their views on recruitment obstacles to maritime, explore diversity in the industry – particularly the LBGTQIA+ community and female seafarers – and the perception of maritime as a career choice.

Attendee Robert “Robi” John Landero, deck officer with Zeaborn Ship Management, said: “What I really love from the event was forming the circle of trust. It gave us enough comfort and confidence to share our experiences as seafarers and thoughts regarding the modernization of the maritime industry. Different people and different stories but serves as puzzle pieces in navigating the industry to the future… there are more stories to decipher to our aspiring seafarers and lots of voices needs to be heard and I do believe that they also deserve to hear our words and to see hope that regardless of the struggles and backer system in the Philippines, they can still secure their dreams.”

Co-host Carl King said: “The meet and greet at Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global was a standout moment, offering a much-needed platform for meaningful connections within the maritime community. Events like this are rare but invaluable, and Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global provided the perfect setting to bring seafarers, industry leaders, and stakeholders together. It’s initiatives like these that deserve to be celebrated and replicated across the industry.”

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Morley added: “This is the very first time we’ve hosted an event like this, but certainly not the last. There are many maritime schools in The Philippines, so there’s great potential for us to build on this and bring even more people into the conversation – for next year and beyond. In doing so, we aim to be at the forefront of inspiring the next generation of seafaring, breaking down barriers and helping foster inclusivity and belonging. This is crucial if the industry is to continue to evolve and be a career of choice.”