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SEA ASIA TO RECEIVE PRESIDENTIAL OPENING
Keynote speakers to discuss The Asian Voice in World Shipping
17 January 2007
Sea Asia, the new exhibition and conference event to showcase the maritime industries across Asia, is preparing for its inaugural edition at Suntec Singapore, 2-4 April this year.
Now with less than three months to go, joint organisers Seatrade and Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), backed by local, regional and international supporting organisations, are pleased to announce that His Excellency Mr S. R. Nathan, President of the Republic of Singapore, has agreed to officially open Sea Asia on Monday 2 April at noon. The President will also be given a guided tour of the exhibition and take lunch at the event.
President Nathan’s almost unprecedented patronage of a first time event reflects the strong support that the host country is giving Sea Asia. The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and PSA Singapore have been actively endorsing the event since its conceptual launch two years ago. Since then, taking more and more space at the venue, Suntec Singapore, has been necessary to accommodate the number of companies requiring stands; such has been the high level of interest. Initially, Sea Asia was planned for three halls with participating exhibitors aimed at 150 to 200. Now, exceeding all expectations, a fourth hall has been incorporated and over 300 companies are expected to exhibit when Sea Asia’s
doors finally open on 2 April.
Interest in Sea Asia, heralded as the most significant event platform for Asian
maritime business, has spread out from the region to take in other major maritime
centres. As well as individual companies from all over the world, more than
10 organised country groups or pavilions could eventually be seen at Sea Asia – very rare for any first time event.
As a business platform, in the form of both an exhibition and a conference,
the appeal of Sea Asia to many lies in its unique theme: new maritime horizons
for the region. The issue at the heart of this theme, The Voice of Asian Shipping,
dominates Sea Asia’s heavyweight conference programme. This has already
secured over 40 leading speakers from 11 maritime centres. Among top names
discussing the keynote issues will be SUN JIA KANG, Managing Director, COSCO
Container Lines; CAPTAIN T. MANJ, Senior Managing Director, NYK Line; SPYROS
POLEMIS, Chairman, International Chamber of Shipping and President, International
Shipping Federation; and ALBERTO ALEMAN ZUBIETA, Director/Administrator of
the Panama Canal Authority. Details are available at www.sea-asia.com
Speaking at a New Year reception last week, S.S. TEO, Managing
Director of Pacific International Lines, also due to speak at Sea Asia, commented
that the event will be the highlight of the year for the maritime industry in
Singapore.
He said, “We have an exciting year looking ahead. The highlight will be Sea Asia 2007 with its focus on The Asian Voice in World Shipping. It will be the first international maritime event to showcase the talent, resources and expertise available across the maritime industries in Asia. As 40 per cent of the world’s
fleet is currently owned by Asian groups, we believe that it is timely to stress
the importance of Asian maritime influence and raise the Asian voice in a global
arena.”
Other high profile speakers taking part in the keynote session on The Voice
of Asian Shipping will include DOUGLAS HSU, Chairman, U-Ming Marine Transport
Corporation and Group Chairman, Far Eastern Group, Taiwan; JONG-CHUL LEE, President & CEO, STX PanOcean, Korea; YUDHISHTHIR KHATAU, Managing Director, Varun Shipping Company Ltd, India and President, Indian National Shipowners’ Association;
ANDREAS SOHMEN PAO, Managing Director, BW Shipping, Singapore; and FREDERICK
TSAO, Chairman, IMC Shipping Co Pte Ltd, Singapore.
Further conference sessions at Sea Asia will take the form of a Charterers
Forum chaired by BIMCO’s Secretary General, CARSTEN MELCHIORS, a meeting on Finance for Asian Shipping addressing both Debt and Equity Finance, and a full ‘Technical Day’ on
Tuesday 3 April packed with workshops and interactive round-table discussions
on the implications of new advances in technology and the latest regulations
and requirements.
Sea Asia is also to host an array of third party meetings and functions, such
is the buzz surrounding it. These satellite events include BIMCO 39, a special
RINA conference on The Design & Construction of Floating Production Units,
and a two-part conference on LNG in association with the Society of International
Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO).
The social side of Sea Asia is expected to be broad. A golf tournament, always popular with maritime executives, will kick things off and, as well as numerous private parties and receptions being planned, an official gala dinner and welcoming reception will unite participants for the lighter side of the networking.
Full details of Sea Asia’s programme of events can be found online at www.sea-asia.com
ENDS
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