About Conference 2003
The conference, arranged for the first time, was held on board Danish DFDS' cruise ferry PEARL OF SCANDINAVIA, April 1-3.
Nearly 200 delegates from all parts of Europe met to discuss present and future issues for the ferry industry. One of the conclusions reached was that after last year's healthy traffic development, the passenger shipping industry now faces both challenges and possibilities.
Ferry operators have to find ways to compete with low-cost airlines, as well as face up to current and coming legislation, both on the national and international level. One of the most burning issues are the new security rules, due to be introduced by mid-2004.
Said Bo-Lennart Thorbjörnsson, one of the organizers of the event: "The new IMO security rules, influenced by the terrorist threat, are very demanding for ports and operators. One must ask how far we can take these issues."
Other topics discussed during the conference included the strategic and tactical situation of the ferry shipping industry. After a number of years with little development, the Baltic was considered an interesting and developing area, where several speakers pointed out the need for new tonnage.
Branding and the optimisation of onboard earnings were also taken under scrutiny, especially important in the post tax-free environment that has been the reality for the ferry operators since 1999.
The conference was organised by Klas Brogren of ShipPax Information and Bo-Lennart Thorbjörnsson of BOLT Consulting.
The conference will be a yearly project and a natural meeting point for leaders in the ferry industry. Next year's conference will be held on board Estonian Tallink's newbuilding, currently under construction at Finnish Aker Finnyards.
"We have had a tremendous response to this year's conference, and we are looking forward to next year's event with great expectations," say the organizers.
Tel +46 35 218370
Fax +46 35 130129
E-mail: info@shippax.se
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