Largest ever Posidonia braces for record participant numbers next week

The Athens Metropolitan Expo center, next to the capital’s airport, is set to overflow next week upon hosting Posidonia 2024, as the world’s biggest shipping event has outgrown its huge venue and demand for events has exceeded capacity and the constraints of a single week, its organizers reported on Thursday.

Held on June 3 to 7, the 2024 Posidonia celebrates 55 years since its first edition and will likely be the biggest ever shipping fair on Earth, according to Theodore Vokos, managing director of Posidonia Exhibitions SA, who spoke at a press conference at the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) in Piraeus and clearly hoped for more capacity.

“Our needs have well exceeded the exhibition space, and it is now imperative to build additional exhibition halls. To accommodate exhibitors this year, we have also proceeded with outdoor booths,” he stated, with the organizers’ expectation for a major venue to be created at Elliniko, southern Athens, being well known.

Vokos explained that this year more than 40,000 people will participate as exhibitors, officials or visitors, as an unprecedented 2,030 companies are taking part from 82 countries. There are 23 national pavilions and almost 68 conferences and seminars scheduled, which is why some of them are starting before the launch of the fair. The turnover for the economy will exceed 80 million euros.

He added that the biggest increase among the national groups of companies is from China, with an impressive 180 firms, which constitutes 50% growth from Posidonia 2022. Turkish companies grew by 10%. There are 96 new or returning participant companies, including 25 new Greek firms. There is also the biggest ever participation by national registers.

Maritime Affairs Minister Christos Stylianides said the numbers of the event speak for themselves, adding: “We at the ministry are proud of the fair. In Greece we live with the sea and we live thanks to the sea, it is in our DNA.” He also revealed that on Monday the ministry will unveil the new online system for the registration of ships, making the process far easier.

Unfortunately the Mayor of Piraeus, Yiannis Moralis, did not grace the press event with his presence, as on previous occasions. Speaking on his behalf, Deputy Mayor Dimitris Karydis reiterated Piraeus’ call for at least some of the Posidonia fair to return to Greece’s biggest port.

As has become the norm, the shipping fair is once again preceded by the Posidonia Games, that start on Friday with the Posidonia Cup, a sailing event organized by HORC with a record number of 54 participating entries. Saturday will see the Posidonia Basketball 3on3 event and on Sunday there is the Posidonia Run in Piraeus with an unprecedented 2,600 runners, and the Golf and Shipsoccer tournaments.