SMM 2022 by ProactivePublications

SMM HAMBURG

RETURN OF THE LIVING TRADE FAIR POWERED BY INSIDE MARINE

Event Preview Excitement builds as September’s return of SMM is just over the horizon

6-9 Sept 2022 - Hamburg

RETURN of the living trade fair

Inside Marine

www.smm-hamburg.com SMM Hamburg returns in 2022 from 6th to the 9th of September. Business Unit Director Maritime and Technology Fairs & Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress, Claus Ulrich Selbach, chatted with Phil Nicholls about the forthcoming fair.

Business Unit Director Maritime and Technology Fairs & Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress, Claus Ulrich Selbach

Digital transformation within the marine industry will be a big focus of this year’s event. What were the factors behind choosing this as a key area? How do you ensure that your topics reflect the current demand of the industry? As the leading maritime trade fair, we have an extensive and multi-faceted industry network across the globe which allows us to follow the market dynamics closely. We constantly talk to our partners, exhibitors, and visitors about their needs, interests, and expectations for SMM. One key issue is the digital transformation in the maritime industry. This is nothing new and has been a fixed component of SMM for years now. This year, we will take a closer look at all the digital innovations and solutions which can help the shipping industry become greener in the next couple of years. SMM 2022 promises to drive the maritime energy transition. Can you share how the event’s Transition Stages will facilitate this process? Our new Transition Stages will be the perfect meeting places for all the industry experts who want to drive the transition of the maritime industry. In addition to our conferences, and in parallel on three stages at the exhibition area, stage partners and exhibitors will present innovative concepts and solutions on central topics of SMM 2022. The Green Transition Stage in Hall A4 presents alternative propulsion and environmental technologies to reduce emissions, The Digital Transition Stage in Hall B6 features digitalisation in the maritime industry, and The Marine Interiors Stage in Hall B5 focuses on interior design, equipment, and technology for passenger ships. Inside Marine

Inside Marine

Event Preview Excitement builds as September’s return of SMM is just over the horizon

6-9 Sept 2022 - Hamburg

Inside Marine

www.smm-hamburg.com

Another new feature for 2022 is the Start-up Route. What can you tell us about this aspect of the event? How popular is this area in terms of number of exhibitors booked and sectors represented?

possible to welcome all markets, such as from China. But we are hoping to increase the number of industry players from across the maritime supply chain that can make it to Hamburg this year.

As the name itself says, the Start-up Route guides visitors to entrepreneurs in the maritime industry which present their smart and innovative concepts at one of the Start-ups@SMM joint stand areas. There will be a special icon identifying the Start-up Route as well as the participating companies in the online exhibitor directory, the visitor guide, and the app. So far, the feedback to the new Start-up Route has been great. Whilst I can’t give you exact details yet, you can be sure that there will be lots of interesting start-ups to discover.

With so many global exhibitions available to companies, why do you feel that SMM is so successful in attracting the world’s biggest companies? What benefits do these companies get from exhibiting at SMM?

2022 marks the 30th SMM. How are you celebrating this milestone? We will celebrate the 30th edition of SMM together with our international friends and partners in various online and offline events. Let us surprise you! What visitor and exhibitor numbers are you targeting this year? Is there any room to grow, especially in terms of number of exhibitors? We are expecting 2,000 exhibitors and 40,000 visitors from more than 100 nations. Due to the pandemic, there is no room to grow this year. But I’m sure there will be in 2024. Honestly speaking, we are quite happy with what we have got already – especially in times of the pandemic where it won’t be

There is just nothing that compares to SMM. Here you can meet all your business partners, customers, and friends from all over the world at one place within a short time span of four days. It saves so many trips and phone or video calls. It is the personal interaction that exhibitors and visitors are longing for most these days. SMM will be the first opportunity in 2022 to meet again in a very international atmosphere. We will reflect the whole supply chain of the maritime industry – in both the 11 exhibition halls and our highly-ranked conference programme. In addition, there will be many possibilities to chat in a relaxed atmosphere or to even take a break in our beautiful park directly next to our halls or in our daily ‘wine o’clock’ social events. Besides the fact that we will offer all of the industries’ solutions, innovations and inspiration, it is important to us that our exhibitors and visitors will have a good time at SMM. There will be several networking events so that each and every one can make the most of their participation. Especially in times like these where everything seems to be in constant change, where there are so many conflicts and crises in the world, we would like to make a small contribution by focusing not only on business but also on interpersonal exchange.

Inside Marine

Event Preview Excitement builds as September’s return of SMM is just over the horizon

6-9 Sept 2022 - Hamburg

Please can you tell me more about your conference programme – who do you have lined up to speak and what topics are high on the agenda? There are so many great speakers and topics that I can’t sum it up in just a few words. All the details can be found on our website. To put it in a nutshell, all five conferences cover topics that are high on the industry agenda. The Maritime Future Summit (5 September) focuses on the ‘Next Phase of the Digital Transformation’, especially on smart alliances and evolving multidisciplinary solutions. Gmec – the global maritime environmental congress (7 September) - addresses the shipping industry’s part in tackling the growing climate crisis. MS &D, the international conference on maritime security and defence (8-9 September), will discuss the industry‘s and navies’ security transition – from future military and non-military threats to artificial intelligence for global as well as regional maritime security. MS&D’s title this year is: Secure your position: Protecting the seven seas. Experts will discuss how navies and the maritime industry can prepare for security issues such as future military and non-military threats or technological developments of manned and unmanned platforms as parts of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Inside Marine

The Offshore Dialogue (8 September) will discuss innovative maritime technologies for monitoring climate change processes in the oceans as well as opportunities offered by digitalisation to achieve our climate targets. Finally, the motto of the TradeWinds Shipowners Forum (6 September) is “Phoenix rise – Rebound prospects for containers and shipyards.” What do you consider to be the main industry challenges for 2022 and the upcoming years? How far do events such as SMM go in helping companies overcome such difficulties? Of course, I do not have as much expertise as all the stakeholders who will present at SMM, but it’s clear that it will take many innovations, discussions, and negotiations to fulfil the industry's own set goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. All sectors agree on the fact that everything must be done to make shipping greener, to slow down climate change, with alternative energy sources or propulsion solutions. But the energy transition costs the industry a lot of money, and it takes a lot of expertise and concrete product solutions. Now, the demand in the industry, as in other industries, exceeds what the market can offer. So that might be one of the main challenges

www.smm-hamburg.com in 2022 and the coming years. I’m sure your readers will find some of the many ideas and answers to this huge challenge at SMM in September. For those who may be new to the event this year, and may be visiting Hamburg for the first time this September, what advice would you give? What can they expect from their trip to Hamburg and SMM?

Is there anything not covered by the above questions that you would like to share with our readers? Thank you so much for all your questions, Phil. I think we spoke about everything that will be key at SMM. On a personal note, let me express how much I am looking forward to meeting all the friends of SMM in Hamburg from 6-9 September. Let’s cross our fingers that everything can take place as currently planned! n

Hamburg is always worth a trip. There is so much to discover in our beautiful city. The good thing is that SMM takes place in the heart of Hamburg – all the places worth visiting are just a few minutes away. I advise your readers to have a closer look at our homepage for more information: https: //www.smm-hamburg.com/en/infos/travel/hamburg.

Inside Marine