TMS networks in style

The Maritime Standard (TMS) celebrated a number of exciting new initiatives at a special networking reception held on a specially chartered yacht at Dubai Marina Yacht Club on May 3rd.

The evening event was attended by over 100 of the region’s top maritime business figures, including Former ADNATCO-NGSCO chief executive, H.E. Dr. Ali Obaid Al Yabhouni, Abdulkareem Al Masabi, chairman, Abu Dhabi Terminals, Ali Al Shehab, deputy chief executive of Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) and many other senior decision makers, from the worlds of shipping, ports, finance and law, besides others. They took advantage of the opportunity to network in a laid-back, informal setting while sailing in the Dubai lagoon.

The business part of the event was kicked off by Clive Woodbridge, editor of The Maritime Standard, who was able to update guests on the progress made by the newsletter over the past year, which now has a circulation of more than 30,000. He said, “We are grateful for the support the industry in this part of the world has given the TMS newsletter. The feedback we get regularly indicates it is a welcome source of information.”

Clive also revealed an exciting new event, the first The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference, which will take place in Dubai on Tuesday, October 25th 2016. Clive said, “The tanker market is one that is full of interesting challenges and opportunities at the moment right across the region. This new one day conference will bring together some of the foremost figures in the tanker shipping business and related fields to highlight what steps are needed to take full opportunity of such positive trends.” Clive then confirmed that the second annual Ship Finance and Trade conference will return to Abu Dhabi, taking place at the Sheraton Towers Hotel on Monday, November 14th 2016.

Clive further announced the first The Maritime Standard magazine, The Maritime Standard UAE Yearbook 2016/2017, which will include articles reviewing recent activities and future plans of the region’s port, shipping, shipbuilding and repair, maritime technology, law, insurance and other sectors. He added: “This is a publication that will be a reference book for the 2016-17 financial year and will have a long shelf life. It will be the definitive guide to what is going on in the region and will be a publication that will be referred to again and again.”

TMS managing director, Trevor Pereira, then officially welcomed attendees to the network evening, and shared the latest news about The Maritime Standard Awards, which will return to the Atlantis, The Palm, for a third year in a row on Monday 24th October 2016. “I promise you that in line with 2014 and 2015 it is going to be one big night of celebration and acknowledgement. We have 29 Awards representing quite literally every trade in Shipping and Maritime,” he said.

Trevor then revealed the TMS Awards Judges Panel. New additions this year include Mohamed Ali Ahmed, COO from DP World; Abdulrahman Essa Al Mannai, President and CEO from MILAHA; Abdulkareem Al Masabi, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Terminals; Capt. B.B. Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director from The Shipping Corporation of India; Koichi Murata, Regional Manager from ClassNK; Ali Al Shehab, Deputy Chief Executive officer from KOTC and Capt. Brian Course, quality and compliance manager from BAHRI.

The evening was rounded off by some excellent food. Trevor concluded, “We have been taken back by the success of this networking event. The fact that so many top level people attended shows clearly there is a real need for opportunities like this, and we plan to repeat it again in 2017.”

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