With ALL ABOUT PORTS, Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC) is launching a new international conference with an accompanying exhibition in 2026, dedicated to the future of the global port industry. The premiere will take place on 2 and 3 September 2026 at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg.

The event focuses on the key challenges and innovation fields shaping modern port locations: digitalisation, automation, sustainability, security, and logistics processes in the port environment. ALL ABOUT PORTS positions itself as a holistic networking and knowledge platform that provides momentum for sustainable, resilient and future-ready port structures. Its aim is to promote exchange among international experts, support technology transfer and develop solutions for central transformation processes.

Hamburg as a model region
As one of Europe’s largest and most diverse ports, Hamburg offers ideal conditions for a format like ALL ABOUT PORTS. The city combines tradition with forward-looking expertise: a strong maritime network across research, politics and industry, leading Smart Port initiatives, a dynamic innovation landscape and a globally significant maritime economy. “Hamburg is the ideal place for ALL ABOUT PORTS,” says Heiko M. Stutzinger, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress. “With our expertise and the international visibility of Hamburg’s port projects, we can actively help shape the transformation of global port locations.” ALL ABOUT PORTS ideally complements HMC’s portfolio – especially in synergy with SMM, the world’s leading maritime industry trade fair, which will take place in parallel from 1 to 4 September 2026. It is co-located with LogiNext Germany, the key industry meeting point for digital logistics innovations, creating a unique meeting point at the intersection of logistics, trade, and the maritime economy.

Target groups and focus
The event is aimed at port operators and terminal companies, shipping lines and logistics providers, security authorities, technology suppliers and maritime start-ups, as well as experts from science, politics and administration. “Ports are nodes of global value creation – essential for economic resilience and sustainable action worldwide,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions Maritime and Energy at HMC.

Strong partners
ALL ABOUT PORTS is supported by leading organisations in the maritime sector, including Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (MCN), the German Seaport Operators Association (ZDS), the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), the Hamburg Harbor Marketing e.V. (HHM) and the the Federation of European Provate Port Companies and Terminals (FEPORT), the Deutsches Maritimes Zentrum (DMZ), the Zentralverband Deutscher Schiffsmakler (ZVDS), the Krajowa Izba Gospodarki Morskiej (KIGM), EUROGATE and the DVV Media Group (DVV).

Strong programme
The conference features keynotes, panel discussions, workshops and an exhibition, covering central topics such as port security and the protection of critical infrastructure, sustainability and green energy in port operations, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, infrastructure development and Logistics 4.0, as well as smart bunkering and alternative fuels. Additional side events in the Port of Hamburg will offer opportunities for direct exchange and practical insights.

Patronage
Jens Meier, President of the global port association IAPH and CEO of HPA, has assumed patronage and emphasises the importance of the event: “Modern ports are drivers of innovation, energy hubs and indispensable infrastructure. ALL ABOUT PORTS provides the ideal platform to jointly advance this transformation.”