Let’s ReFuture Shipping! 31 already
committed distinguished representatives of the maritime industry and many more
expected to commit in the days to come will participate as speakers in the established
annual Slide2Open Shipping Finance 2020 conference, where the most recent
developments in the industry, together with valuable financial and commercial
insights into activities, offerings, best practices and trends will be
discussed and analyzed. The conference will take place on Thursday 30 January at
Divani Caravel Hotel, in Athens.
Speakers include the Minister of Maritime
Affairs and Insular Policy, Mr. Giannis Plakiotakis, the President of the Hellenic
Chamber of Shipping and Deputy Chairman of Contships Management, Dr. George D. Pateras,
Mr. John Dragnis of Goldenport Shipmanagement, Ms. Marily Frangistas of Franco Compania
Naviera, Mr. Konstantinos Georgiou of Accenture, Mr. George D. Gourdomichalis of Phoenix
Shipping & Trading, Mr. Stavros Gyftakis of Seanergy Maritime Holdings, Mr. Anastasios
V. Papagiannopoulos of Common Progress Co Na, Mr. Nicholas Papalios of Vantage Shipping
Lines, Mr. Jesper R. Pedersen of M.V.Cargo, Ms. Korinna Tapaktsoglou of Pioneer Marine,
Mr Dimitris Theodorakis of Swissmarine, Mr. Christos Tsakonas of DNB Bank, Mr. George
A. Tsavliris of Tsavliris Salvage Group, prof. Hercules Haralambides, Mr. Marc Hari
of Macquarie Bank and many more. Mr Yuri Bender of the Financial Times, Ms Danae
Bezantakou of Navigator Shipping Consultants, Ms. Katerina Stathopoulou of Investments
& Finance, Mr Konstantinos Kanellopoulos of Braemar Naves and Mr Angelos Roupas
Pantaleon of Second Wind & Partners are the sessions’ chairs and moderators.
From decarbonization and
blockchain, from safety and autonomous shipping modules to over-regulation, the
shipping industry keeps on doing what it knows best – it is moving on.
Sometimes leading the way, others adapting to new realities, but never
stopping, always evolving.
Shipping finance has been
keeping a watchful eye on developments in the industry but is still
characterized by much caution on the side of banks and regulators, in equal
stride. Banks are constantly shrinking their shipping portfolios with only a
few exceptions and NPLs remain high. Can Shipping Finance become attractive
again to banks? Leasing is expanding its reach, but in a somewhat more focused
way, funds are repositioning in the market and crowdfunding might become
more than just a viable option. Availability, timing, coverage: Apart from
strengths and weaknesses, each financing solution represents more than meets
the eye.
Are there brighter days ahead? Shipping
is an industry of doers. It’s an industry of flexible and adaptable shipowners
and managers who have proven, time and again, their agility to master changing
market dynamics and complicated new variables in technology, regulation and,
let’s face it, politics.
The question is not just to
be good in what we are doing, but also to be able to predict and be ready in
our rapidly changing world.
Let’s not wait and see what the future holds for us.
Let us jointly brainstorm about ways to be proactive.
Let’s ReFuture Shipping!
Let us jointly brainstorm about ways to be proactive.
Let’s ReFuture Shipping!
