Posidonia to include exhibition, conferences, networking, social and sporting events over 3 week period to welcome thousands of exhibitors and visitors from some 140 countries

The world’s most prestigious shipping exhibition is now also set to become the longest in duration shipping event, as Posidonia 2026 prepares to engage the global maritime community over a three-week period filled with conferences, networking, social and sporting events. Activities will begin in early-May and culminate during Posidonia Week, which officially takes place from 1–5 June.

With 50,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Metropolitan Expo sold out months in advance, thousands of exhibitors and visitors from 140 countries will once again converge on Athens. Posidonia 2026 is eagerly anticipated across a broad spectrum of the local economy, including hotels, catering and restaurants, transport and mobility providers, entertainment and sporting venues and stand builders, amongst others. The event is expected to contribute over €100m to the economy of Attica and neighbouring tourism destinations.

Theodore Vokos, Managing Director of Posidonia Exhibitions S.A., said: “The economic and business impact of Posidonia now begins nearly three weeks before the official opening, as conferences, business meetings, industry gatherings and sporting events are increasingly scheduled ahead of the traditionally crowded Posidonia Week. With many events staged during the preceding 15-day period, the overall Posidonia timeframe has expanded significantly. This extended activity cycle is expected to deliver even greater benefits to the local economy, with hotel and event-space bookings already exceeding 2024 levels.”

He added: “Posidonia is returning with greater strength and scale than ever before, driven by the industry’s renewed momentum and a shared commitment to maintaining the exhibition’s status as an unmissable biennial meeting point for the global maritime community — a place to connect, exchange ideas and collaborate now and into the future. No other shipping event attracts as many Shipping Ministers, presidents of international organisations, Greek and international shipowners and senior shipping executives.”

As the home show of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) – the world’s largest and most influential shipowners’ association – Posidonia has long served as a magnet for not only for shipyards and maritime equipment and service providers, but also for the finance, insurance and technology sectors, reflecting the UGS’s collective strength and expanding orderbook. In 2025, Greek shipowners placed 250 newbuilding orders. Greek shipowners also rank second worldwide in second-hand vessel acquisitions, with around 260 purchases concluding last year, surpassed only by China*.

Germany and Italy will return with National Pavilions after prolonged absence, with their ship equipment manufacturers and services providers showcasing their offering. To accommodate strong demand, the organisers utilized all available space to welcome some 40 new and returning exhibitors, including start-ups, technology innovators and shipyards from the Far East and Australia.

With shipping facing plenty of headwinds at the moment in a challenging international environment, a lot is to be debated at Posidonia. According to the head of research and valuations of Cass Technava, Eva Tzima: “Topics to be discussed will include geopolitics, environmental regulatory requirements, and of course technological advancements and the possible benefits the use of AI could offer to shipping. It goes without saying that while all these areas are of high interest to the industry, geopolitical developments are expected to dominate discussions, not only because they continue to shape market supply and demand dynamics, but also because their impact has been extending across  other areas of interest, as evidenced by the delay in IMO’s net zero framework adoption voted last year, following intensive lobbying from the U.S. administration.”

The Posidonia 2026 Conference Programme is already taking shape. The Marine Insurance Greece and RightShip conferenceswill open proceedings in early May with a focus on risk management and maritime risk and security. The TradeWinds Shipowners Forum 2026 will take place on the first day of the exhibition, bringing together leading shipowners to debate the industry’s most pressing challenges, followed by the HELMEPA Conference, which will address environmental and sustainability issues. Among the highlights will be the SNAME Conference, titled “The Greek Shipyard Renaissance: Rebuilding Capacity, Restoring Leadership”, which will explore the future of Greece’s resurgent shipyard sector.

The Posidonia Games continue to expand into a major sporting and social platform and create their own maritime ecosystem, now comprising a full Posidonia sports weekend ahead of the exhibition. A new addition for 2026 is the Posidonia Tour, a challenging cycling event that will take participants along one of the world’s most scenic routes, from Syntagma Square in central Athens to the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. Around 300 cyclists are expected to take part. Established sailing, football, golf, 3×3 basketball and running events will also return, drawing more than 4,000 shipping professionals.

Posidonia 2026 is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and the Union of Greek Shipowners, with the support of the Municipality of Piraeus and the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee.