Hamburg Messe, organiser of the world’s largest shipping show, SMM in Hamburg, has taken the decision to cancel one of its satellite shows, citing yesterday’s bombing as a major reason.
“The tense political situation in the region and the changing Turkish shipbuilding market have created a sense of uncertainty among international exhibitors, leading to a general reluctance to register for the SMM Istanbul conference and exhibition,” the organiser said on its site today.
Along with its local partner, Hamburg Messe has decided it is no longer “economically feasible” to proceed with the event originally scheduled for February 24 and 25 this year.
“Hamburg Messe will reevaluate the Turkish market and the political environment for the year 2018,” the event organiser said.
Istanbul was rocked by a suicide bombing yesterday, linked to Islamic State, which killed 10.
Turkish shipping and shipbuilding have been very hard hit by the downturn, leading to many other event organisers including Seatrade and TradeWinds to pull out of the market.
SMM as an exhibition brand started to move overseas from its Hamburg base in the last decade. It also runs an event in India.
