The eyes of the international maritime community will be focused on Freeport, Grand Bahama when it hosts the three-day **Bahamas International Maritime Conference** and Trade Show beginning November 19.
The event is slated for the Westin at Our Lucaya Resort, and the theme is ‘Opportunities in Trade and Maritime Services’.
*“It is intended to serve as a platform for showcasing the multiple facets of The Bahamas’ maritime industry, particularly as it relates to transshipment, trade, ship ownership, registry services, ship repair and other things,”* states the Ministry of the Environment.
The conference will be opened by Prime Minister Hubert A Ingraham and International Maritime Organisation Secretary General Efthimios E Mitropoulos will deliver the keynote address.
*“The Bahamas is highly respected in the international maritime community for having attained and maintained the world’s third largest ship registry,”* states the Ministry of the Environment.
*“However, in order for The Bahamas to maintain its position of prominence in the region and in the world, policy makers and program planners must stay abreast of the ever-changing demands and developments in the international maritime industry.”*
The conference and trade show aims to promote the Bahamas as a hub of international trade; highlight the benefits and advantages of The Bahamas International Ship Registry; draw attention to the latest developments and opportunities in the maritime industry in The Bahamas; and, explore issues related to local and international investment trends and opportunities for the maritime industry.
Freeport, a free trade zone, is home to the Freeport Container Port, Grand Bahama Shipyard, Freeport Harbour, Bahamas Oil Refining Company, and South Riding Point Holdings.
Among other presenters, Barry Malcolm, Managing Director, Scotia Bank, will speak on ‘Entrepreneurial and expansion opportunities within the maritime industry of the Bahamas’; Robert Somerville, Chairman and CEO, American Bureau of Standards, will speak on ‘Clean air, cleaner oceans, cleaner beaches – What the shipping industry is doing to reduce its footprint’; and Anthony Price, president, Algoship Designers Limited, will speak on ‘Opportunities for training within the Bahamas maritime sector’.
*“We want to stimulate interest in the many world class maritime services offered by The Bahamas,”* states the Ministry of the Environment.