Dubai-based publisher, conferences and awards organiser, The Maritime Standard (TMS), aims to build further on a highly successful 2018 with a number of significant new initiatives in the year ahead. The company made a number of key announcements at a special networking event held at the fashionable Dubai Hills golf club in the presence of many of the regional maritime sector’s top executives and experts.
The TMS networking reception at Dubai Hills golf club was attended by several leading figures from the ports and shipping sector in the UAE, and further afield, with executives flying in from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The guest of honour was DP World UAE managing director and chief executive, Mohammed Al Muallem. Praising the contribution of TMS over the past few years, he concluded: “We are grateful for the contribution that Trevor and his team have made to promoting the maritime business in this part of the world. It is a pleasure to witness their well-earned success.”
Trevor Pereira, managing director, said, “It was tremendous to have so many of our friends and loyal supporters as our guests at this special reception. We were able to set out some exciting new developments and initiatives which will help our publications and events go from strength to strength.”
The company took the opportunity to announce the date of the glittering TMS Awards 2019. The ceremony will be held on October 21st at the Atlantis Ballroom, The Palm, Dubai. “The Awards have now become an established fixture in the shipping industry calendar and the decision to return once again to the iconic Atlantis is a statement of our intention to maintain our five-star standard of quality,” said Trevor Pereira. “The ‘who’s who’ of the shipping industry will be in the Ballroom and it is sure to be event that will add tremendous value for all who attend.”
It was also confirmed that the following day, on October 22nd, TMS will host its fourth annual Tanker Conference, which will be attended by all the region’s top tanker owners and operators. Conference editor, Clive Woodbridge, added: “We are looking forward to welcoming the tanker shipping business to this year’s conference which will again be held at the Atlantis, a venue offering the necessary combination of capacity, quality and convenience. To sustain the success of this fast-growing, niche event, there will also be some new topics on the agenda this year, including a greater focus on the petrochemicals market and also on the bunker trade.”
On November 6th, 2019 The Maritime Standard will host the fifth in its series of Ship Finance and Trade conferences. This time a new feature of the event will be coverage of transportation issues. It also is moving to a new, more modern venue, the Sofitel Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Clive Woodbridge commented, “The decision to add transportation as a theme was made in response to feedback from our attendees last year who said this would a valuable addition to the programme. We always listen to what our customers say, and we think this will add another dimension to the debate and discussions.”
On the publishing side of the business, the fourth edition of the TMS UAE Yearbook, covering 2019/20, is currently being researched. This will be published to coincide with the launch of the Norshipping exhibition in Oslo in the first week of June, where the UAE maritime cluster will have a high-profile presence.
In addition, The Maritime Standard newsletter, published electronically on a fortnightly basis, will be supplemented by a new TMS Tabloid Section. Clive Woodbridge said: “We are delighted to be able to announce the additional coverage which will focus on people and places, including updates from conferences and exhibitions as well as informal get-togethers, such as golf days, charity fundraisers, seminars and networking events. In addition, it will be a chance to highlight notable management appointments promotions, and positive stories about what leading figures in the sector are getting up to behind the scenes. We believe TMS Tabloid will bring the industry closer to its customer base, by presenting a human side, and hope it will be a well read and much appreciated addition to the Newsletter, which celebrated its 100th edition last year.”