At the end of Day Two this evening, the Sea Asia conference had attracted more than 700 international and regional delegates – a record number over the first two days of the show.
Referring to the overall show attendance after day two, a Seatrade spokesperson said tonight: "After a tremendous start to Sea Asia 2013, which has grown by over 15% since last time in 2011 and now occupies space of 17,000 sqm, we are delighted that early figures indicate our attendance target will be exceeded."
Seatrade and co-organisers the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) had earlier said they hoped for 14,000 visitors to Sea Asia 2013 over three days.
After the formal opening on Day One yesterday, today it was down to business with delegates and exhibitors announcing deals, initiatives and tie-ups.
One significant announcement today was a deal between Rolls Royce, the marine engineering company, and Drydocks World of Dubai to provide Liquid Natural Gas-powered tugs for the Middle East market.
As visitors queued to enter the exhibition hall all day, up in the conference hundreds of delegates gathered to hear expert views and opinions in sessions focused on a range of current topics from ship finance to the current state of the maritime offshore market in Sea Asia's Offshore Marine Day.
Offshore Marine Day started with a high-powered VIP Offshore Marine Breakfast followed by the Offshore Marine Forum focusing on the offshore support vessel market. In the afternoon the theme continued with a wider perspective on the sector.
Sea Asia 2013 ends tomorrow, Thursday 11 April, with Technical Day taking in technological shipyard developments in the morning and, in the afternoon, green technology. Running parallel to these technology sessions will be sessions on LNG & LPG gas transportation in the morning and, following lunch, Project Cargo & Heavy Lift issues.
In addition, tomorrow brings Youth Day, an initiative in line with Sea Asia's ongoing commitment to the development of youth, talent and career opportunities in the maritime industries of Singapore. The objective is for higher education students to witness the magnitude of the exhibition and to gain insights from industry professionals.
Sea Asia, which articulates the voice of the Asian maritime communities, has captured the imagination of the global shipping community. It was officially opened yesterday (Tuesday 9 April) by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Sea Asia 2013, being held at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, features 385 exhibiting companies from 36 countries. There are country pavilions from China, Holland, Japan, Korea, Norway, Panama, Qatar, Singapore, and the UK.