SMM, the world’s largest shipping exhibition, throws open its doors for the first time since 2018
The doors were thrown open today to welcome thousands of visitors to the world’s largest shipping exhibition – a sold-out SMM in Hamburg meeting up physically for the first time in four years.
With the motto ‘Driving the maritime transition’, the 30th anniversary of the show features around 2,000 exhibitors and more than 40,000 visitors from more than 100 countries.
From the methanol-ready dual-fuel engine by MAN Energy Solutions that weighs several tonnes to the lightweight energy-saving LED lamps by WISKA, the exhibition halls will showcase innovations big and small, grouped by theme.
Covid put paid to the 2020 edition of SMM, with organisers then creating a digital version of the event last year. This week all 11 halls at the huge Hamburg Messe complex have been sold out with suppliers eager to get a slice of the swelling global ship order book, which sees many yards around the world now quoting delivery slots into 2026 and beyond.
Three so-called transition stages at this week’s exhibition will highlight various hot topic themes such as green and digital.
“We have consciously reduced some of the exhibition areas in favour of the transition stages to give participants more room to present their ideas and product novelties in an open forum,” said Claus-Ulrich Selbach, business unit director at organisers Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC).
SMM’s beginnings as an industry fair were very small. Back in 1963, just 35 exhibitors set up their stands for the original Schiff und Maschine (Ship And Machinery) expo in Hamburg’s exhibition halls.
Splash will be bringing readers updates from SMM all week.
