Theodore Vokos, managing director of Posidonia Exhibitions, often uses superlatives to describe the size of the biennial event he organises.
The sheer magnitude of Posidonia’s 28th edition kicking off on 3 June, however, forced him to dig even deeper into his vocabulary.
“Athens will be swamped this year,” he said at the event’s inaugural press conference on 30 May.
With more than 40,000 participants expected, Posidonia 2024 will be the biggest ever.
“We no longer fit into the Metropolitan Expo building,” Vokos said.
The venue’s owners have promised that by the next event in 2026, a separate exhibition building will be set up to accommodate the growing number of participants.
The week-long event has already been unofficially stretched to last longer.
Several firms moved their receptions forward, as more and more are chasing a limited number of clubs, restaurants and hotel venues they deem respectable enough to host their events.
“One week is no longer enough, two are needed,” Vokos added.
Officials new to the shipping business admit they have been overwhelmed by the event’s outsize proportions.
A tad overwhelmed, minister?
“I will probably have to clone myself to respond to every invitation I have received,” said Greek shipping minister Christos Stylianidis, who assumed his post last November.
“I was always told how big it is, but it’s only now that I realise what Posidonia means,” the Cypriot-born former European Union commissioner added.
The size of this year’s event is not only due to how well Greek companies have been doing in upbeat bulker, tanker and container ship markets.
China’s post-Covid rebound has played a big part in giving the event an extra push.
According to Vokos, the number of Chinese participants rose 50% from the previous event to 180 companies.
What is remarkable is that Greece’s neighbour, Turkey, posted the second-biggest increase.
In total, 2,032 companies are exhibiting from 82 countries as diverse as Palau, Belize, Barbados and Guinea-Bissau.
Ninety-six exhibitors are either entirely new or returning after years of absence.
Twenty-five of them are new Greek companies, a testament to the country’s role as an emerging cluster for maritime service firms, from equipment providers to digital offerings.
Some officials, however, urge participants not to forget about the pleasure of it all.
“Don’t forget to stay late for all the parties,” said George Pateras, chairman of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping.
