Seawork International returns to its familiar quayside location in the working Port of Southampton for a 2009 edition which promises to surpass all the successful Seaworks which have gone before.
World Marine Market Worth £2 Trillion
A research report by Marine South East valued the total marine market at £2 trillion in February this year. Now in its 12th successive year, Seawork is once again set to be the scene of successful deals between exhibitors and visitors converging on Southampton from all over the world for three days in June. With over 450 exhibitors and 35+ vessels, attracting 6,500 visitors all professionally involved in the commercial market, this is the one event you really can’t afford to miss. Despite the world economic downturn, many sectors of the commercial marine industry remain buoyant. Identifying opportunities for diversification or cross-fertilisation of technologies and extending your network of contacts are all key to weathering the storm. Seawork provides the perfect forum.
John Denham MP graduates to Seawork
Seawork is delighted to announce that John Denham, MP for Southampton Itchen and Secretary of State for Innovations, Skills and Universities, will be visiting the exhibition on Thursday 18 June. He will tour the halls and the pontoons, no doubt paying particular attention to the Innovations Showcase and the Maritime Training & Careers Pavilion, run in association with the Portsmouth & South East Hampshire Education Business Partnership and Solent Skills Quest.
Maritime Security Drive
Piracy has been much in the news over the last year, whilst port and inshore security remains a concern of the Harbour Masters and other port managers who attend the show. Seawork has responded quickly by launching a Maritime Security Pavilion, which is being supported by the Association of Police and Public Sector Suppliers (APPSS), the Exclusive Economic Zone Interest Group (EEZING), the Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA), and the new UKTI Defence and Security Organisation (DSO). Captain Stephen Taylor has been working with the Seawork team as a consultant to help create the new Pavilion. Participating companies will be demonstrating security equipment such as underwater detection and boat stopping devices on the quayside and in the water. Outdoor demonstrations will be announced by the new ‘Sound-To-Go’ public address system, which will be showcased at Seawork for the first time this year.
Also new for 2009 is a re-invention of the Seawork Gala Dinner, which moves to the opulent DeVere Grand Harbour Hotel. Again sponsored by ZF, the event takes place on Tuesday evening, 16 June, giving exhibitors and their guests a chance to unwind, relax and continue networking following the bustling first day of the show. An evening of good food and wine is capped by the usual after diner entertainment and presentation of the Spirit of Innovation Award for the most exciting new product, vessel or project entered in Seawork’s Innovation Showcase. The Showcase and Awards are co-sponsored by Marine South East and the University of Southampton. Additional new features at the 2009 Gala Dinner include free on site parking and a private entrance for guests as well as a hotel bar staying open after dinner into the early hours.
Seawork entertainment does not conclude with the Gala Dinner. Party Time has been added for 2009 and on Wednesday evening, 17 June, Seawork will take over the Orange Rooms in Southampton for a Las Vegas style evening featuring feather-clad showgirls, roulette tables, boogie on the dance floor or quiet, chilled out bar areas. A maximum of 400 tickets are available at only £10 each.
With many Seawork exhibitors already supplying or supporting the fast growing Marine Renewable Energy sector, the Seawork Conference will focus on this subject on the Tuesday afternoon. The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) and the Renewable Energy Association are supporting Seawork again, providing speakers who will deliver papers of particular relevance to vessel builder/operators and marine contractors.
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