SMM, the world’s biggest shipping show, confounded many (including, I admit, yours truly) by being absolutely packed. It was hot and cramped trying to squeeze through the thousands of visitors while transiting the many giant halls.
In these depressed markets you have to work harder than ever to earn every dime – and so it showed on the stands at the Hamburg show.
As I have always said, SMM remains the best shipping show in the world to actually do business. How much was actually concluded at this year’s show compared to previous editions is too early to say, but in terms of sales efforts I have to give an A* for effort to the 2,100 odd exhibitors.
Any show that can boast more than 1,000 exhibitors (let alone 2,000) is clearly massive. However, the fact that Hyundai Heavy Industries (and subsidiary Hyundai Mipo) was the only Korean shipbuilder present spoke volumes of the carnage going on in that particular sector.
In terms of themes at this tech-led show, autonomy, automation and integration were the three key things under discussion – if one discounts the elephant in the room that is Hanjin Shipping.
Our full SMM archive can be accessed here.
Next up for me on the international shipping event circuit will be Copenhagen in late October for Danish Maritime Days.
