Posidonia 2022 will be held this summer from June 6-10, with the 27th edition of the world’s most prestigious shipping event gearing up to welcome the international maritime community back to its Athens Metropolitan Expo venue, following the pandemic-induced disruption of the 2020 event.

Already, nearly 90% of the exhibition floor is committed, and as new bookings continue, Posidonia 2022 is on course to match, if not overcome, its exhibitor record set in the pre-pandemic edition of 2018, which had registered 2,009 exhibitors and 22,000 visitors from 92 countries.

The majority of this year’s confirmed Posidonia exhibition space has again been reserved by international companies, and at least 85 of the total number of exhibitors will be making their Posidonia debuts.

Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions, the event’s organiser, said: “We are ready for the great reset of the shipping industry. And we are delighted to witness such strong demand and feel the desire of the international maritime community for Posidonia’s physical resumption. As the home of the Greek shipping community, Posidonia has always been a popular destination to network with leaders of industry, showcase the latest in maritime engineering and technologies, and engage in discussions that shape the international discourse on the sector’s most important issues,” said Vokos.

The booming dry bulk and container markets, the decarbonisation debate, new technological challenges and how they reshape the industry, the initial impact of Covid-19 and the subsequent rebound from it, as well as the uncertainty of what the future holds in a post-pandemic world, will be some of the topics to be addressed during the conference programme of Posidonia 2022.

With Posidonia 2022 fast approaching, the recently elected President of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) Mrs. Melina Travlos lends her support to the organization of the event: “The long-standing and globally well-established shipping exhibition, Posidonia, comes back this year after 4 years of absence due to the pandemic, with solid foundations to not only live up to the raised expectations of the international maritime community, but to also exceed them.”

“Having been honoured to be at the helm of our historic Association, the institutional representative of Greek shipping which owns 20% of global tonnage and 59% of the EU-controlled fleet and on behalf of the Board of Directors too, we are certain of the successful conduct of this important for the international shipping industry event, the lynchpin of global trade and economic growth”, Mrs. Travlos stated. “Posidonia 2022 offers the opportunity to unite the international maritime community and rally it behind commonly accepted principles and mutually beneficial strategies for an environmentally friendly and sustainable shipping sector, both in the short and long term”, Mrs. Travlos concluded.

The conference agenda is still being shaped, but already the flagship Tradewinds Shipowners Forum is confirmed, along with the Global Maritime Summit, organised by Seatrade in conjunction with the Global Maritime Club, and the Capital Link Investor Forum. Other confirmed events, highlighting the international participation at Posidonia, include the Japan Ship Exporters Association seminar, the 3rd Korea-Greece Hellenic Maritime Cooperation Forum and a conference by the Polish Embassy in Greece. Posidonia is also proud to support HELMEPA, WISTA Hellas, the Yes Forum youth project, the Hellenic Institute of Maritime Technology, Isalos.net and the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, who will also be organising conferences and seminars at Posidonia 2022.

The signature Posidonia Games will again be an essential part of the Posidonia experience, with hundreds of exhibitors expected to participate in the multidisciplinary sporting calendar comprising of the sailing Regatta Posidonia Cup, the Posidonia Running Event, the Posidonia Shipsoccer Tournament, the Posidonia Golf Tournament and the all new Posidonia 3on3 Basketball.

Posidonia is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, the Union of Greek Shipowners and the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and with the support of the Municipality of Piraeus and the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee.