30th WISTA Annual Conference Support Reflects Industry Optimism

Leading organisations throughout the shipping industry are stepping up support for what will be one of the major events in the maritime calendar: the 30th annual conference of WISTA International (the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association), which will be in Athens, from September 29 to October 1.

Anna-Maria Monogioudi, President of WISTA Hellas, said that the summer has seen further prestigious additions to the sponsorship list, and top calibre speakers – led by IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos, who will deliver the keynote address to the conference – had agreed to lend their expertise to the proceedings. A steady flow of further endorsements is expected in the next few weeks.

The 30th annual conference is continuing to receive an excellent response from all sectors of the shipping industry and companies who showed support for this event from the beginning include Hellenic Hull Management (as Diamond Sponsor), the Marshall Islands Registry (as Silver Sponsor), GAC, ABS, OSG, Thenamaris, Paragon Shipping, J.G. Roussos Shipping and Blank Rome as (as Bronze Sponsors) as well as support from Transmar and Tsavliris Salvage Group.

Conference organisers have just opened a new sponsorship category, codenamed Pearls of Wisdom (as the pearl is the emblem of a 30th anniversary) under which small companies and businesses can contribute on a modest scale.

Said Ms Monogioudi: “The success of the biennial Posidonia exhibition in June showed that the shipping industry in Greece and internationally is more resilient than many commentators had forecast. The message from Greece is that although the domestic economy may be troubled, the country’s standing as a maritime centre remains irreproachable. The enthusiasm that is building around our WISTA Conference will enable us to showcase the industry’s determination to innovate and thrive.”

Latest developments include:

Navios Maritime Holdings has become a Platinum Sponsor of the WISTA 2010 Conference, and Chief Executive Angeliki Frangou, who is an honorary member of WISTA Hellas, will be speaking in the session: The Importance of Rules and Regulations in Achieving Sustainability – How do we cope?
ClassNK, the world’s largest classification society in terms of tonnage covered, has become a Silver Sponsor, a noteworthy honour at a time when the society’s Chairman and President Noboru Ueda has been elected Chairman of the Council of the International Association of Classification Societies. ClassNK is currently celebrating 110 years of business.
George D. Gourdomichalis of Conference Bronze Sponsor, G. Bros, has accepted an invitation to speak at the gathering, during the session: Teaming up for Improving Safety at Sea.
Michael Bodouroglou, the founder and Chief Executive of Paragon Shipping, which is a Bronze Sponsor, will address the Conference on: The Social Profile of the Shipping Industry: Best Practices leading to Excellence.
Karin Orsel will be moderator of the workshop Women on the Board. Ms Orsel is Chief Executive of Management Facilities Group BV which part-owns and manages a fleet of 50 ships. She is President of WISTA Netherlands,
Professor Yoriko Ishida will fly in from Japan to participate in the session: Seafarer – Shipping Industry: Sailing Together. An expert on intercultural and gender questions, Ms Ishida is professor at the Oshima National College of Maritime Technology.
Marie Kelly, a partner and expert on dispute resolution based in the Athens office of international law firm Norton Rose, will be a speaker in the session entitled Safeguarding the Environment: Innovations.
The GAC Group, a Bronze Sponsor, has just announced its latest addition to its port agency network, by co-ordinating a Brazilian operation from Rio de Janeiro.
Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp has agreed to become a Bronze Sponsor. The company is a Marshall Islands corporation with executive offices in Athens, and transports dry bulk cargoes on its owned and operated ships.

In addition to furthering industry debate and analysis, the WISTA Conference is a premier networking event, and one of the main attractions will be the venue, the Divani Apollon Palace & Spa, a luxury hotel and events centre on the Athenian Riviera.

All registrations will go into a draw for the prize of a four-day cruise for two people kindly offered by Louis Hellenic Cruises, a loyal supporter of WISTA Hellas. The draw will be made during the Networking Dinner on Thursday September 30.

For more information please see www.wistaconference.org or email athens2010@wistaconference.gr