Hands On Format at ShipRepair & Conversion 02

Innovations prompted by feedback from last year’s show, which attracted more than 2,500 visitors and 300 exhibitors from 45 countries, include a fully equipped presentation/ demonstration area and a debate-led conference programme with delegate fees set at just £125 to broaden participation.

The introduction of sales presentations and a lower priced conference is intended to encourage greater interaction among exhibitors, visitors and delegates to maximise the event’s value as a sales showcase and platform for exchanging ideas.

Exhibitors at ShipRepair & Conversion 2001 marked the event’s tenth anniversary with a wave of contract announcements and product launches. Southampton based marine outfitters MSC (Europe) signed a letter of intent for a £13m contract to convert a former Danish ferry into a hospital ship for the American medical charity Mercy Ships and the Spanish shipyard IZAR finalised agreements worth $10m involving repairs to a cruiseship and a cable layer as well as two tanker to shuttle tanker conversions.

For ShipRepair & Conversion 2002, the event grows even larger, with bookings boosted by a price freeze at 2001 rates and demand from show regulars for larger stands.

The UK’s Intelligent Engineering, developers of a pioneering steel repair system, and Bahrain shipyard giant Asry will be among a host of first time exhibitors this year. Intelligent Engineering’s debut reflects growing sales of its sandwich plate system for repairing ro-ro decks, tank tops and hatch covers. The SPS solution, presented at last year’s conference, offers a tenfold time saving over rip and replace methods with a sandwich material overlay which also improves the original structure’s strength.

The company has recently signed a collaboration agreement with repair and conversions specialists the A&P Group, who will themselves again occupy one of the show’s biggest stands.

The first appearance by Middle East repairer Asry will focus on its expansion into FSO/ FSU conversions and offshore platform work.

In another first, ShipRepair & Conversion 2002 will feature a German national pavilion. This will house up to 15 new exhibitors and will be in addition to the long established presence of Germany’s best known yards and suppliers.

As in previous years, the ShipRepair & Conversion 2002 conference will feature leading figures from yards, agents, owners, managers, classification societies and suppliers, but in a major change of emphasis, their input will be to set the scene for a series of debates open to full delegate participation.

The opening State of the Industry session will range from market demand to yard survival strategies, followed by debates on repair and conversion issues including yard selection, extras, customer satisfaction, riding crews, safety, on-site supervision, regulatory bodies, skilled manpower shortages and the use of sub-contractors.

Day two starts with maintenance debates covering coatings, corrosion, costings, methods, technologies, spares supply and planned maintenance. The concluding debates will focus on shipyard issues such as setting up a new yard, alliances, improving performance, safety and risk, environmental standards and legal liabilities.

MJ Information No: 17601