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About the conference
THIS year’s CMA Shipping 2010 event, for which Lloyd’s List is a media sponsor, is taking place at a time of some uncertainty for shipping while many commercial, technical and regulatory issues are taking centre stage in the industry this year.
CMA Shipping 2010 takes place on March 22-24 at the Hilton Stamford Hotel in Connecticut.
A distinctive feature of the annual Connecticut Maritime Association show is that it brings together commercial and operational aspects of the shipping business. The CMA is therefore confident that the show will attract great interest and indications so far bear that out.
According to event director Lorraine Parsons, exhibitor space has already sold out and the final number of attendees is expected to at least match last year’s record of more than 2,200.
The exhibition features more than 140 companies offering a wide range of products and services to the maritime industry. Most are based in the US, but include many international firms.
The event is supported by a number of leading industry trade organisations, including InterManager, BIMCO, Baltic Exchange, International Bunker Industry Association, International Chamber of Shipping and Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association, which is hosting a lunch on the first day of CMA 2010.
Among the features of the show is the CMA Job Fair, which is making a return and is offering information and advice about career opportunities in the maritime industry. It takes place on the second day of the show.
Companies will host tables seeking to hire staff and it provides a focus for people looking at a career in various aspects of the industry.
The event programme has been devised by a working group based in the Connecticut tri-state area that includes shipowners, managers, lawyers, insurers, shipbrokers and response specialists. The associated conference reflects these twin major commercial and operational themes.
The opening day focuses on money and transactions, which always feature as a major driving force in the CMA programme and provides an opportunity for owners, charterers and financiers to get together, something of even greater importance than usual in the current financial climate.
The conference carries the unusual theme Fog, which the organisers say reflects the uncertain prospects for the industry this year, contrasting with earlier boom years and the grim year in 2009.
In the opening conference session, delegates will be formally welcomed by CMA president Beth Wilson- Jordan. There will also be presentations by the leaders of several key international shipping industry organisations.
These are scheduled to include Hermann Klein, chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies, Graham Westgarth, chairman of Intertanko, Nicholas Pappadakis, chairman of Intercargo, Spyros Polemis, chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping, and Roberto Giorgi, InterManager chairman.
There will be a particular focus on the ever-increasing role of Asia in all aspects of shipping and speakers at the opening session represent companies either based in Asia or which have made strategic commitments to business development there. As well as exploring business development opportunities, the session will look at the market impact of growing maritime trade and finance in the region.
Dagfinn Lunde, head of shipping and board member at DVB Bank, will give the keynote address on the session focusing on Asia.
Justine Fisher, vice-president high yield research at investment bank Goldman Sachs, and Ray Bartoszekm, managing director for oil at trading group Glencore, will give detailed analyses of various aspects of development in Asia.
Shipowners giving their perspective will include Morten Arntzen, president and chief executive of Overseas Shipholding Group, Jack Noonan, president of Chembulk Tankers, and Modi Mano, director and chief financial officer at Navig8 Group.
Another session takes on a more controversial topic of regulation and enforcement and associated response. The key issues affecting owners and operators will be tackled by contributors from P&I clubs, leading US professional response organisations, the US government and the always essential lawyers.
The regulatory session will focus on practical issues. It will be moderated by Karl Lumbers, of the UK P&I Club, and will include contributions from the US Justice Department and US Coast Guard.
A natural follow-up to this is a session on environmental policy, with some companies demonstrating what they are doing to generate commercial value from investing in environmental protection measures. This session is scheduled to coincide with and feature a live satellite link with the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting in London.
The session will be complemented with a talk from leading US environmental organisation Environmental Defense Fund about emissions policy and regulation, specifically looking at likely practical developments.
Philippe Boisson, of French class society Bureau Veritas, will outline the European Union’s approach to climate change and the impact on shipping.
A following panel discussion will include several eminent former CMA commodores, sharing their crucial and extensive experience and knowledge on some of the topics discussed.
Previous CMA commodores participating in the closing debate will include Morten Arntzen, Marc Saverys of CMB, Richard du Moulin, partner in Intrepid Shipping, and Gerhard Kurz.