Nor-Shipping 2015

This year’s Nor-Shipping is less than a week away and runs from 2nd to the 5th June in Oslo. The event is even more notable this year with it being the 50th Anniversary of the event, making it the longest running maritime exhibition in the world. The event offers those in the maritime industry from all over the world the opportunity to meet up, attend conferences and seminars, and to view exhibitions. Each year many ship owners, shipbuilders, shipbrokers and representatives from the classification societies and from technology providers attend the event.

Networking is a vital part of any successful business, and to miss such a prestigious event is an opportunity missed. For a Registrar it provides the ideal platform to meet and discuss with fellow Registrars and clients from around the world the problems and issues that they may be facing. Meeting your clients face to face in a less formal atmosphere enables you to hear what they are saying first hand, to discuss the problems, and to be able to reassure them that you will endeavour to rectify any issues as soon as you can.

By attending the Nor-Shipping event, it also gives you the opportunity to meet potential new clients who may currently have their ships registered with other flag states. If by chance they are not entirely happy with the service that they are currently receiving, and are perhaps considering changing flag, this is an ideal opening to market your registry and to gain new clients.

As mentioned in an earlier article, The Lack of International Training for Registrars, a Registrar must keep up to date and maintain a sound knowledge of maritime law, compliance and enforcement, and have a variety of other maritime knowledge to carry out his function. The Nor-Shipping event is the perfect place to learn and hear about a wide range of the latest topics in the maritime industry.

Of the various conferences, two stand out as being of particular interest to the Registrar. The “What’s Next?” conference session will discuss a variety of issues including geopolitics, regulatory pressure, technological innovation and other important industry issues. “The Collaborative Society” conference will focus on the change in technological trends and the ability to gather, filter and share knowledge.

Attendees and speakers at the conferences this year will include IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu, BW Shipping Managing Director Yngvil Eriksson Åsheim, Teekay CEO Peter Evensen, National Oilwell Varco CEO and President Clay Williams among others.

The exhibitions at Nor-Shipping are extensive. This year there will be 1030 exhibitors from 50 countries around the world. Each of the exhibition halls is given over to a particular aspect of the marine industry. Two halls are allocated to the area of IT and navigation, while safety and rescue, shipbuilding and maintenance, maritime services and logistics, and propulsion and machinery each have a hall to themselves.

The event however is not all business. Built into the event are a boat race, a fun run, and the annual Nor-Shipping barbeque. To learn more about the event or to book a ticket, you can visit the Nor-Shipping website.