Seatrade Maritime Club round table sets scene for Crew Connect Global 2024

The shipping and maritime experts were taking part in the Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table – a successful initiative that precedes Seatrade Maritime events and allows stakeholders to discuss topical discussion points in a closed-door environment before sharing further in the Crew Connect Global conference agenda.

The round table was moderated by Marcus Hand, Editor of Seatrade Maritime News and Raal Harris, Chief Creative Officer, Ocean Technologies Group. Split into two parts, Raal focussed on safety, training and new fuels, whilst Marcus honed in on communications, welfare and disruption – all topics to be discussed in more depth during the coming two days of Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global.

The round table is the latest in a series which has seen gatherings take place in Saudi Arabia; Dubai; London and offers up a frank and open discussion about challenges facing the maritime and logistics industries in each geography as well as on the global platform.

Day 1 of Crew Connect Global includes the ‘Crewing Think Tank’ - designed to bring debate and discussion to the panel as key topics are put under the spotlight including: availability of cadet berths; the rising need for new skills and the opportunities of the future relating to the energy transition.

Deliberately curated to include leading industry associations, the outputs from the session will be published in a Crew Connect Global white paper to be shared after the event and remind attendees of the pertinent topics discussed and actions that need to be taken.

Leading the panel is Tommy Olofsen, Chairperson, Crew Connect Global.  He is joined by BIMCO’s Capt. Ashok Srinivasan, Manager, Department of Maritime Safety and Security; IMEC’s Chairman, Capt. Belal Ahmed; ICS Secretary General, Guy Platten; INTERTANKO’s MD, Katharina Stanzel and Sebastian von Hardenberg, VP/CFO InterManager/Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement.

According to Seatrade Maritime Group Director, Chris Morley: “To have 5 of shipping’s largest associations on one panel is a powerful start to the conference programme.  These are influential industry individuals who see Crew Connect Global as an important platform to have some of these major discussions and hope to find solutions and resolutions.”

The Crewing Think Tank follows on from the official conference opening and keynote addresses from: Hans Leo Cacdac, Secretary, Republic of the Philippines Department of Migrant Workers and an International Video Address from IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez.

Attendees on Day 1 of the three-day exhibition and conference at Shangri-La The Fort, Manila – The Philippines will also hear from Fotini Ioannidou, Director Waterborne, European Commission and Sonai B. Malauan, Administrator, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation.

“Day 1 is an exceptional opportunity to be part of the Crew Connect Global audience and hear from these industry stalwarts.  Each of these keynotes is complemented by topical panel discussions featuring other specialists and attendees will be able to listen and learn much from these interactive sessions,” added Chris Morley.