Thousands of professional visitors from all over the world are expected at this year’s Posidonia exhibition, the most prestigious event in the shipping industry, which this year is expected to be the largest in its history.
Posidonia 2022 will open its doors on June 6 at the Athens Metropolitan Expo and will run until June 10.
According to Theodore Vokos, executive director of Posidonia Exhibitions, the organizer of the event, this year’s Posidonia should be bigger than ever.
Speaking at a media event on Wednesday, Vokos said Posidonia 2022 will host some 1,900 exhibitors/companies and 24 national stands, all from 87 countries.
Posidonia Exhibitions SA Executive Director Theodore Vokos speaking to Greek journalists at a media event. Photo © GTP
“We expect visitor numbers to reach over 18,000…Not as high as our last event in 2018 (over 22,000) but we are on the right path to recovery as this Posidonia is held after the pandemic,” he said.
It is recalled that the 2022 exhibition follows a four-year hiatus since the last time Posidonia was held in its traditional physical format (2018). Its 2020 edition has been canceled due to Covid-19.
“This event brings the Greek economy more than 60 million euros… This is revenue for Greek businesses in the hospitality, catering/F&B, corporate events and transport sectors,” he said, adding that the organization this year literally covered the entire exhibition space of the Metropolitan Expo Center in Athens.
“There has been a four-year gap due to the pandemic, so the approximately 1,900 companies that will be participating from around the world surely have a lot to show, showcase and discover,” Vokos said.
Posidonia 2022 also awaits nine government delegations around the world, which highlights the importance of Greek shipping, Vokos added.
The exhibition will host official delegations from Cyprus, Malta, Poland, United Kingdom, Panama, Singapore, Liberia, Bahamas and the Republic of PalauWestern Pacific island country.
Furthermore, Vokos informed that the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean Posidonia will also be present.
“His presence comes at a time when there are many new environmental regulations in maritime transport,” he said, adding that Vălean had expressed interest in speaking with the Greek maritime community and journalists. The commissioner is expected to give a press conference the day of the opening of the exhibition.
Posidonia 2022 conference program
Posidonia 2022 will also provide delegates and visitors with a much-anticipated platform to learn, interact and network over five days. The exhibition’s conference program, which includes a list of distinguished speakers, will delve into crucial issues such as the war in ukraine; the severe Covid-19 side effects induced pandemic; and the impact of soaring energy prices, broken supply chains and to come Environmental regulations.
It should be mentioned that also on Wednesday it was announced that Posidonia 2022 was certified as Greece’s first sustainable event by Bureau Veritas, the world leader in testing, inspection and certification.
Posidonia 2022 has become the first maritime show to receive the ISO 20121 certificateattesting to the industry’s commitment to organizing sustainable events.
Posidonia is organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy, the Union of Greek Shipowners and the Hellenic Chamber of Navigation and with the support of the Municipality of Piraeus and the Greek Committee for Maritime Cooperation.
To follow GTP headlines on Google News to keep up to date with all the latest news on tourism and travel in Greece.