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The Irish government's development, promotional and marketing office for the shipping services sectors, the IMDO is among the sponsors of the high-profile biennial London International Shipping Week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) sponsor role in the premier global and maritime event week (13-17 Sept) is where the LISW21 provide an opportunity for the international and UK maritime community to get back together again. This time face-to-face and for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

During LISW's 'must attend ' events, this will offer up to 250 in-person, hybrid and virtual industry functions and unique networking opportunities for leaders across all sectors of the international shipping industry and the UK shipping industry. Take a click here for conference speakers and panelists.

Among the events Afloat has consulted is the Coastal Shipping Seminer, to be held tomorrow, Wednesday, 15 Sept. Attendees will gain new insights into coastal shipping and understand how to revolutionise the green supply chain. To register this British Ports Association seminar, click this link for the event attended by ports and shipping operators.

As for the high profile LISW21 Conference (also tomorrow) this is to take place at the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) headquarters on the Thames along Albert Embankment in central London.

In addition a glittering black tie Gala Reception and Dinner held aptly in the National Maritime Museum downriver in Greenwich is on Thursday, 16 September. This key event will attract the very highest-level from the UK government and shipping industry leaders across the UK and from around the world.

For further details of LISW21 there is the Official Event Guide (click to download) which is packed with information on this year’s premier global shipping and maritime event.

The events (calender) will be held by international shipping and marine trade associations and the UK Government, as well as by official sponsors of the week.

Both face-to-face and virtual events will take place, and seamlessly be blended via the dedicated LISW21 Portal. To access the portal and register for free online events click here.

During the week of LISW, a daily breakfast morning news programme is podcast from 7am

Published in Ports & Shipping

About Brittany Ferries

In 1967 a farmer from Finistère in Brittany, Alexis Gourvennec, succeeded in bringing together a variety of organisations from the region to embark on an ambitious project: the aim was to open up the region, to improve its infrastructure and to enrich its people by turning to traditional partners such as Ireland and the UK. In 1972 BAI (Brittany-England-Ireland) was born.

The first cross-Channel link was inaugurated in January 1973, when a converted Israeli tank-carrier called Kerisnel left the port of Roscoff for Plymouth carrying trucks loaded with Breton vegetables such as cauliflowers and artichokes. The story, therefore, begins on 2 January 1973, 24 hours after Great Britain's entry into the Common Market (EEC).

From these humble beginnings however, Brittany Ferries as the company was re-named quickly opened up to passenger transport, then became a tour operator.

Today, Brittany Ferries has established itself as the national leader in French maritime transport: an atypical leader, under private ownership, still owned by a Breton agricultural cooperative.

Eighty five percent of the company’s passengers are British.

Key Brittany Ferries figures:

  • Turnover: €202.4 million (compared with €469m in 2019)
  • Investment in three new ships, Galicia plus two new vessels powered by cleaner LNG (liquefied natural gas) arriving in 2022 and 2023
  • Employment: 2,474 seafarers and shore staff (average high/low season)
  • Passengers: 752,102 in 2020 (compared with 2,498,354 in 2019)
  • Freight: 160,377 in 2020 (compared with 201,554 in 2019)
  • Twelve ships operating services that connect France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain (non-Covid year) across 14 routes
  • Twelve ports in total: Bilbao, Santander, Portsmouth, Poole, Plymouth, Cork, Rosslare, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Saint-Malo, Roscoff
  • Tourism in Europe: 231,000 unique visitors, staying 2.6 million bed-nights in France in 2020 (compared with 857,000 unique visitors, staying 8,7 million bed-nights in 2019).