New York Shipping Conference Asks: How Will Shipping Survive the Perfect Storm?
Annual joint Chamber of Commerce event expecting high attendance. Event will be held on Tuesday, February 10th at the New York Helmsley Hotel.
Building strategies for survival in today’s economic and shipping markets is this year’s focus of the 15th annual Hellenic-American and Norwegian-American Chambers of Commerce annual conference, often called the New York Shipping Conference. Entitled “How Will Shipping Survive the Perfect Storm?”, the conference will present the macroeconomic picture, a banker’s view of the credit crunch, an overview of the commodities market, and how shipowners are responding. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 10th at the New York Helmsley Hotel starting at 0815 with conference registration and coffee.
The New York Shipping Conference is being co-chaired by John E. Couloucoundis, President of Delta Navigation Corporation and Nikolai Nachamkin, Senior Vice President of DnB NOR Bank ASA (New York). The macroeconomic picture will be delivered by Ole Slorer of Morgan Stanley and Dr. Arlie Sterling from Marsoft, Inc. Larry Rutkowski, of Seward & Kissel LLP will moderate the next session on the banker’s perspective on the credit crunch, which will feature Andrian R. Dacy of JP Morgan Asset Management; Randee Day of Seabury Group; Colin Manchester of RBS Global Banking & Markets; and Harald Serck-Hanssen from DnB NOR Bank ASA.
The risks of piracy at sea will be addressed by Jeroen Meijer who is with Control Risks. Robert Bugbee will deliver the luncheon keynote address on “Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow”.
LeRoy Lambert of Blank Rome LLP will moderate the next discussion looking at the commodities markets and how demand and trade finance are impacting commerce. The panel will include John Ahearn of Citi Markets and Banking, Robert Keihm of Stemcor USA; John Thuestad from Alcoa; and Evangelos Venturas of Venturas Ship Chartering Ltd. The shipowners will be led in discussion by Robert Shaw of Mystras Ventures LLC. Joining him will be James Dowling of K-Sea Transportation; Jeffrey Pribor of General Maritime Corporation; John Wobensmith of Genco Shipping & Trading; and Sophocles Zoullas of Eagle Bulk Shipping.
The Conference Co-Chairmen anticipate a robust discussion of the strategies needed to survive today’s “Perfect Storm”. “We have not seen these market conditions in this century”, stated Couloucoundis. “We need to fully understand the implications of the current activity.” Added Nachamkin: “The shipping market is in a state of flux. One of the aspects distinguishing today’s market from previous downturns is the proliferation of publicly traded shipping companies, with the accompanying pressure from shareholders. This certainly adds to the storm.”
The conference will conclude at 1700 with a networking cocktail reception sponsored by Blank Rome LLP and Jacq. Pierot, Jr. & Sons. For information on registering, contact either Chamber (NACC +212 885 9737 or HACC +212 629 6380) or [email protected]
The cost for HACC/NACC members is $625 (additional members from the same company $575) and non-members is $695. Sponsors as of 1/19/09 include:
• Atlantic Container Line
• Assuranceforeningen SKULD
• The Bank of New York
• Blank Rome LLP
• Delta Navigation Corporation
• Det Norske Veritas
• DnB NOR Bank ASA, New York Branch
• Eagle Ocean Transport Inc.
• GARD
• Heidmar Inc.
• Holland & Knight LLP
• John S. Latsis (USA) Inc./SETE
• Mystras Ventures LLC
• Navios Maritime Holdings Inc.
• Nordea Bank New York Branch
• Jacq. Pierot, Jr. & Sons, Inc.
• Poles, Tublin, Stratakis & Gonzalez, LLP
• Seward & Kissel LLP
• Sigma Coatings A brand of PPG Industries
• Southern Star Shipping Co., Inc.
• Watson, Farley & Williams (New York) LLP
Media contact: Carleen Lyden-Kluss +203 255 4686 or [email protected]