Since its humble beginnings in the 1970s, Seatrade Maritime has evolved from a small team of dedicated journalists into a diverse and wide-ranging portfolio of industry-leading events, publications and digital media that empower an entire ecosystem of maritime professionals the world over.
Our history
Seatrade was founded by Themistocles Vokos in 1970. The vision was to create a news medium that would focus on the business of maritime transport, appealing as much to the owners of cargo and the financial and trading communities as to traditional shipping – a ‘The Economist’ for the sea transportation industry.
Same year, the first issue of the brand's maritime magazine, Seatrade Maritime Review (the original name was ‘Seatrade International’), was published. The magazine was intended to cover the patterns of global seaborne trade, as much as the operational and technical sides of the industry.
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| First edition of Seatrade magazine published in 1970 | Themis Vokos (right) with Anthony ‘Tony’ Nash and Derek Dickinsin the very early days of Seatrade |
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In March 1973, Seatrade Communications launched its first event, the ‘Seatrade Money & Ships Conference’ at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
Over time, the company expanded into new areas of business and new geographies. It added a dedicated section on Panama in 1997, the year of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Panama Canal treaties, and later established a permanent base in Dubai and Singapore.
The policy of engagement with the industry continued and accelerated in future years, as Seatrade expanded its range of maritime events in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East, including the launch of Seatrade Maritime Awards in 1989 with the support of the IMO secretary-general at the time, C.P. Srivastava
In recent years, the move towards digital continued, culminating in what is now Seatrade Maritime News. To provide a timely stream of news reporting, Seatrade expanded its journalism online and into podcasts, video, interactive infographics and social media.
Seatrade’s principal strength is its ability to bring key people together, encouraging innovation and facilitating better communication within the industry.
The brand was acquired in 2014 by UBM, and as of June 2019 became part of Informa Markets, a division of Informa Plc the world's leading event organiser.
Our offices
Seatrade’s headquarters are based in Colchester, UK, with regional offices in major maritime centres across the world.
UK
Seatrade Maritime
uite N, The Octagon, 27 Middleborough
Colchester, Essex C01 1TG
United Kingdom
T +44 207 017 5000
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