Press Release: In view of the continuing uncertainty concerning the COVID-19 public health crisis with restrictions on travel and public gatherings, and our commitment to the well-being of the maritime community, the Annual Summit that was originally set to take place on 13-14 October in London will be postponed until 2021. In place of an in-person Summit this year, the Global Maritime Forum will organize an interactive Virtual High-Level Meeting this October to bring together its community of decision-makers from around the world.
25 May 2020; In these times which are challenging to many, the Global Maritime Forum’s Board of Directors has taken the necessary decision to postpone the Annual Summit 2020, originally set to take place on 13-14 October in London. This in-person gathering, which brings together top executives with policymakers, experts, NGOs and other influential decision-makers and opinion shapers from around the world, will instead be held in London in 2021. A precise date will be communicated once confirmed.
Maritime Minister Kelly Tolhurst said: “This is a period of unprecedented challenge for the maritime sector and while it is a great disappointment that this year’s summit cannot go ahead, I fully support the Global Maritime Forum’s decision.
I look forward to the UK hosting the summit in London next year and encourage the industry to come together for the interactive Virtual High-Level Meeting, to share innovations and a vision to help further our sector’s success.”
COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented global crisis that will have severe consequences for people around the world. In tackling it, however, we may also have an opportunity to rethink our economies and societies to be more resilient, sustainable, and fair.
In place of this year’s Annual Summit, the Global Maritime Forum will host a Virtual High-Level Meeting to connect its community of global decision-makers and opinion-shapers from the maritime sector and beyond, with the aim of effecting positive change. The Virtual High-Level Meeting will be organized as an engaging and interactive online event, uniting the advantages of digital technologies, and the free-flowing exchange of ideas characteristic of Global Maritime Forum events. Additionally, the possibility of organizing smaller regional meetings is being explored.
“The Global Maritime Forum is committed to shaping the future of global seaborne trade to increase sustainable long-term economic development and human wellbeing. This is a crucial time to rethink the way we operate and consider how to rebuild our economies and societies in a forward-looking manner. I very much look forward to the Virtual High-Level Meeting, and to the action-oriented ideas to be shared there,” says Peter Stokes, Chair of the Global Maritime Forum.
For further information contact Head of Communications, Torben Vemmelund at tve@globalmaritimeforum.org or +45 2224 1446, or visit the Global Maritime Forum’s website.
