Royalty and Industry Leaders Join Nor-Shipping 2019 Opening Ceremony

Nor-Shipping is gearing up for a new look Opening Ceremony on Monday 3 June at Oslo City Hall. Your Arena for Ocean Solutions, which takes place in venues across Oslo and Lillestrøm, Norway, between 3 and 7 June, is refining its traditional opening event to include awards presentations, a focus on ’10 women to watch in shipping’, music, high profile speakers, and an exclusive networking event. Guest of honour will be His Majesty King Harald of Norway.

Awards switch 

Now in it’s 52nd year, Nor-Shipping attracts around 35,000 delegates, from over 75 countries, with close to 1,000 exhibiting companies every two years. For 2019 the presentation of its coveted Young Entrepreneur and Next Generation Ship Awards have been switched from the opening conference (now the Ocean Leadership Conference) to the City Hall event, while Youngship will use the occasion to discuss the next generation of talented female industry executives.

Speakers will highlight ocean opportunities and challenges, before an exclusive drinks reception. Music on the day will be provided by upcoming Norwegian singing star Emma Steinbakken. 

Focused on the future

“Nor-Shipping is evolving, and the Opening Ceremony is no exception,” comments Nor-Shipping Director Per Martin Tanggaard. “Rather than a celebration of the past and present we want to use it set sights firmly on the future – to identify and help enable new and sustainable business opportunities in the ocean for our core maritime audience. 

“This ceremony will help define both our own approach and what lies on the horizon for the industry, as we blend political perspectives with the need to focus on technology, talent, sustainability and collaboration. With a specially invited audience spanning the worlds of business, politics, society and academia we believe this is an ideal platform to kick start a week of debate, cooperation, innovation, engagement and, we hope, significant industry progress.”

Informative and entertaining

The Mayor of Oslo, Marianne Borgen, is the official host of the ceremony, with Nor-Shipping’s Head of Sustainability and Technology Silje Bareksten alongside Tanggaard leading proceedings from the stage. Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will deliver one of the keynote speeches, while global charity Mercy Ships will also detail its work helping and healing those in need. 

The main ceremony will run from 17.00 to 18.00, with a networking reception following immediately afterwards.

“The Opening Ceremony will be informative, but also enjoyable,” Tanggaard concludes. “Nor-Shipping is known as an arena where doing business is a pleasure, as industry colleagues network and build fruitful relationships in environments that are often as entertaining as they are productive. We will start as we mean to go on and can promise everyone attending an evening to remember. Personally speaking, I can’t wait to get started.”