Coronavirus pushes back more maritime industry events

Coronavirus pushes back more maritime industry events: Hall of fame induction and trade conference postponed until September
Kim Link-Wills, March 20, 2020 https://www.freightwaves.com/news/coronavirus-pushes-back-more-maritime-...

Two more maritime industry events have been rescheduled because of the coronavirus.

The 27th Annual International Maritime Hall of Fame Dinner and the Virginia Maritime Association (VMA) International Trade Symposium will now take place in September.

Industry conferences planned by the American Association of Port Authorities, Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association, Connecticut Maritime Association and Coalition of New England Companies for Trade are among the many that have been postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Maritime Association of New York and New Jersey’s hall of fame induction, originally scheduled for May 13, has been moved to Sept. 10.

The event will be held at its originally slated venue, the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. Tickets, sponsorship and souvenir journal advertising sales will be applied to the new date automatically.

Hall of fame inductees are Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises; James R. Mara, president emeritus of the Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors’ Association; James I. Newsome III, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority; Nikolas P. Tsakos, president and CEO of Tsakos Energy Navigation; and Lois K. Zabrocky, president and CEO of International Seaways.

“Certainly most businesses are experiencing similar challenges in these unprecedented times and we hope we all get through them with minimal disruption and in good health,” said Edward Kelly, Maritime Association’s executive director.

The VMA International Trade Symposium planned for May 13-15 has been moved to Sept. 22-24 at the Hilton hotel in Norfolk, Virginia.

“In the U.S., the transmission and infection rate continue to increase with the federal government, states and local authorities taking increasingly restrictive measures to curtail the spread of infection. For the health and safety of all, it is VMA’s sincerest hope these measures will be successful and the spread of infection will quickly decrease and come to a halt. However, even when a reversal occurs, we recognize it will take time for people’s lives and workplaces to recover and resume a more normal state,” the VMA said.

The VMA said it will carry all current registrations forward to the September dates. It will refund registration fees paid by those who are unable to attend in September.
Sponsorships of the maritime conference also will remain in place. American Shipper is a global sponsor.