2008 Retrospective: Money, markets, costs & crews
The third annual Greek Shipping Summit co-organised by Seatrade and TradeWinds brought more than 150 participants from 13 countries to the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens last November.
The Greek Shipping Summit united the Greek and International shipowners with charterers, bankers and financiers, lawyers and lawmakers, regulators, port authorities, shipbuilders and representatives of class societies from major world maritime centres. The summit addressed the implications of recent dramatic world events on the future of the Greek Shipping industry.
The summit program focused on the current volatile market, record order books, the effect of the credit crunch, high operating costs and the increasing concern of the cost and availability of quality crew.
The morning session’s distinguished speakers included:
ANASTASIS PAPALIGOURAS, The Minister of Mercantile Marine, The Aegean and Island Policy, Greece
IAN ADAMS, Secretary General, IBIA
TED PETROPOULOS, Managing Director, Petrofin SA
NIGEL GARDINER, Managing Director, HP Drewry
Capt MICHAEL ELWERT, Business Development Manager, BIMCO
Capt HOWARD SNAITH, Marine Director, INTERTANKO
The afternoon session was devoted to the lively and sometimes heatedparliamentary style debate in which two teams of debaters for and against the motion ‘This House believes that new shipbuilding capacity now coming on stream will see past slumps repeated’ presented their views and was chaired by NICHOLAS TSAVLIRIS, Principal, Tsavliris Salvage Group
Speakers for the motion included:
STAVROS HATZIGRIGORIS, Managing Director, Kristen Navigation Inc.
JEAN RICHARDS, Owner/Director, Quantum Shipping Services Ltd
PAUL SLATER, Chairman & CEO of First International Corp & Managing Director of Griffin Holding Group Inc
Speakers against the motion included:
HARRY VAFIAS, Chairman & CEO, Stealth Shipping
MANOLIS VORDONIS, Executive Director, Thenamaris Ships Management
ANTHONY ZOLOTAS, Director, Eurofin SA
Conference participants had the chance to air their views in the floor debate before voting against the motion before the house.
