SMM Hamburg innovative trade fair to define the future of shipping
With 90,000 m2 of exhibition space, more than 2,000 exhibitors and over 50,000 industry visitors, SMM is the leading trade fair of the global maritime industry. The motto of this year's event, to be held from 9 to 12 September, will be "Innovation", the event organizer Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH said Wednesday.
"Once again we will welcome the Who's Who from all segments of the global maritime industry this year. At SMM they will highlight current trends and developments, offering fascinating insights into the future of the industry. We have been fully booked for months," says Bernd Aufderheide, CEO Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. The patron of SMM 2014 will be German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The maritime mega event will be covering the entire space available at Hamburg's fair site: eleven exhibition halls (B1 to B7 and A1 to A4) plus a new hall called B8. Each hall will be dedicated to one particular field of the shipping world. Hall A1, for instance, will feature Ship Operation Equipment, Environmental Technologies as well as Deck Equipment and Cargo Handling Systems. Becker Marine Systems will be among the exhibitors in this hall. "For our company SMM is the most important trade fair. Our customers from both the shipyard and ship-owning sectors use this fair to keep themselves up-to-date on innovative trends, and to network," says Dirk Lehmann, Managing Director of Becker Marine Systems. This year the company's exhibits will focus on energy-saving concepts, including innovative rudder optimisation solutions (such as the Cross Over Rudder) and the well-known energy saving devices Becker Mewis Duct and Becker Twisted Fin. Furthermore, Becker Marine Systems will showcase their LNG Hybrid business line. "This context will be the perfect backdrop for Aida Cruises and Becker Marine Systems to jointly announce the commissioning of the first LNG Hybrid Barge, a floating power station for cruise ships mooring at Hamburg harbour," says Lehmann.
SKF/Blohm+Voss Industries will likewise set up an large stand in this exhibition area. "This year we will present an entire array of new products and innovative technology for the shipping industry, including several new solutions from SKF/Blohm+Voss Industries which will help our customers improve the performance of their ships while reducing their lifecycle costs. We will also introduce new engineering concepts addressing the need to comply with the requirements of the Vessel General Permit 2013 as issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)," promises Martin Johannsmann, Managing Director of SKF/Blohm+Voss Industries. Johannsmann says he especially welcomes the opportunity to share views with customers personally in Hamburg's fair halls: "As the leading international maritime trade fair held right here, at the doorstep of SKF BVI, SMM is the biennial highlight of our interaction with customers. We are excited about the prospect of meeting up with our customers, networking and showing our enhanced market presence which we acquired by joining SKF."
Halls A3 and A4 will accommodate exhibitors from the segments of "Prime Movers and Propulsion Systems" and "Lubrication", including such manufacturers as Caterpillar, Rolls Royce or MAN. "We are looking forward to this great industry gathering in Hamburg. For MAN Diesel & Turbo SMM is the most important fair and our visitors can expect fascinating exhibits and groundbreaking technologies at our new stand," says Dr Jan-Dietrich Müller, Head of Corporate Communications & Marketing with the Augsburg-based world market leader in ship engines. In view of the recent passing of the IMO Tier III emission control regulation, efficient use of energy resources will be a key topic for MAN this year.
Halls B2 to B8 will feature exhibitors from the ship building, production equipment, ship outfitting, safety equipment, navigation and communication, maritime security and defence and other segments. For example, in Hall B6 visitors will find the stand of SAM Electronics, ASP, a subsidiary of the US company L-3 Marine Systems International. "L-3 Marine Systems International will present a huge array of systems and products for automation, communication, navigation, positioning, propulsion, energy generation and distribution as well as entertainment," says Ulrich Weinreuter, President of L-3 Marine Systems International. "What is more, we are very focused on eco-friendly, low-emission solutions and are proud to show our products at the world's most important shipbuilding fair, SMM 2014."
The leading international maritime trade fair will be accompanied by a generous conference programme revolving around SMM's five featured topics, each assigned to one specific day of the fair: Finance (SMM Ship Finance Forum), environmental protection (gmec, global maritime environmental congress), security and defence (MS&D, international conference on maritime security and defence), offshore (SMM Offshore Dialogue) and recruiting (Maritime Career Market). In addition, the fair's industry visitors from all over the world are sure to benefit from the comprehensive special-events programme with more than 150 individual events (workshops, symposia etc.).
Hamburg, Germany based Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH is a world class event organizer with expertise in organizing international and national conferences and exhibitions. It has 103,000 sq meter wide exhibition space at the heart of Germany, Hamburg, and it has a state-of-the-art conference auditorium with 12,500 sitting arrangements and 23 conference rooms for arrangement of best standard corporate conferences and seminars. The company has organized some landmark events like COTECA, Europe's first international trade-show on tea, coffee, and Cocoa related businesses, International Conference and Exhibition on Maritime Security, travel show Reisen Hamburg, SMM etc.