Sea Asia 2017 Reinforces Role as Leading Maritime Forum in Southeast Asia

Seatrade Chairman, Chris Hayman, said the large number of participants and exhibitors, despite the current headwinds in the industry, is a reflection of Sea Asia's established reputation in the regional maritime calendar.

"The industry is undoubtedly going through a difficult time in some sectors, and we are very pleased that in spite of this, Sea Asia 2017 was still able to gain the support of key partners, speakers and exhibitors throughout the three days.

"Their support has allowed Sea Asia to continue to be a platform for robust discussions on critical industry issues and potential solutions. This has helped to further reinforce Sea Asia's role as a leading forum for analysis and debate in the global maritime industry," said Mr Hayman.

Executive Vice President of UBM Asia Ltd, and Director of Sea Asia 2017, Michael Duck noted that whilst the conference sessions at Sea Asia 2017 delved into some of the key challenges facing the industry today, there was a good deal of optimism for the future of maritime.

"With the challenges and new trends facing the industry today, it was no surprise that discussions over the three days were shaped around the potential solutions and opportunities for the industry in years to come. It was encouraging to see how positive industry leaders are towards the outlook for the maritime sector," said Mr Duck.

This edition of Sea Asia featured five new national pavilions from Denmark, Greece, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom in addition to those from Singapore, China, Holland, Norway and Panama.

Other features included an exhibition which showcased the works of maritime artist Mr Chung Cheek Kit, and the Sea Asia Youth Tour which involved youths from the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) along with education and career guidance counsellors (ECG) working with students and jobseekers.

Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Chairman of the Singapore Maritime Foundation, said the success of Sea Asia 2017 also highlights Singapore's increasingly important role as an International Maritime Centre (IMC).

"Singapore was recognised as the top maritime capital in the latest Menon Report, a position which was well deserved and will spur further efforts in the years to come.

"This Sea Asia platform was once again a great opportunity for maritime players to interact, hear the latest insights and find new opportunities. The next event in 2019 will be the place to be," said Mr Sohmen-Pao.

Mr Duck concluded that following the success of Sea Asia 2017, the team is already looking ahead to the next conference and exhibition in 2019, which will be held on 9 - 11 April 2019.

"We're hopeful that the overall maritime industry will improve by 2019 and are looking forward to further building Sea Asia's role as the established platform for industry leaders to discuss on industry issues and trends as well as solutions to navigate through challenges," said Mr Duck.

For more information, please contact:

Disha Gurnani                                                 
Email:   [email protected]               
Mobile: +65 9789 1655                                   
DID:      +65 6239 4105                                      

Caroline Leeming
Email:   [email protected] 
Mobile: +65 8742 3266
DID:      +65 6239 4102

Notes to Editors

About Sea Asia 2017

Sea Asia, the premier maritime and offshore conference and exhibition in Asia is returning for the 6th edition on 25 - 27 April 2017 at the Marina Bay Sands®, Singapore. Co-organised by Seatrade and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, Sea Asia is well-attended by trade professionals and some of the most influential and respected leaders in the industry, delivering an unparalleled reach of key decision-makers.

Alongside an international exhibition, the highly acclaimed and interactive Sea Asia conference complements and puts Sea Asia at the forefront of regional maritime events. International thought-leaders will address the latest topics, debate on key trends, and discuss opportunities and challenges facing the maritime and offshore businesses from a commercial perspective.

For a full list of sponsors and exhibitors, and more information on the conference programme, please visit www.sea-asia.com/.

About Seatrade

Founded in 1970, Seatrade was acquired in 2014 by UBM, the world's second largest media and event organiser across a wide variety of industries. Seatrade's publications, events, management training, research and award schemes cover every aspect of the cruise and maritime industries. The company's principal strength is its ability to bring key people together, encouraging innovation and facilitating better communication within the industry. Seatrade is headquartered in Colchester, UK, with regional offices in Dubai, Singapore, as well as representatives in all major maritime centres and cruise destinations across the globe.

For more information, please visit www.seatrade-maritime.com.

About the Singapore Maritime Foundation

Established in 2004, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) is a private sector-led organisation that seeks to develop and promote Singapore as an International Maritime Centre (IMC). As the representative voice for the commercial players of the maritime industry, SMF seeks to forge strong partnerships with the public and private sectors of the maritime industry. SMF spearheads initiatives to promote the diverse clusters of the maritime industry in Singapore and at international frontiers, and to attract young talents to join the sector. SMF is directed by its Board of Directors which comprises prominent leaders in the Singapore maritime community.

For details, please visit www.smf.com.sg.

About the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (22nd - 28th April 2017)

Sea Asia 2017 is held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (SMW). SMW is the leading maritime event in Singapore driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. These events reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

SOURCE Seatrade Communications

Related Links

http://www.sea-asia.com