As such, organisational wheels are now in motion, and allocating stands in exhibition halls is top of the agenda.
Quality counts
“We have an ‘early bird’ offer that ends on 31 May and then we begin drawing up hall plans in the first week of June” reveals Nor-Shipping Director Sidsel Norvik. “There’s always high demand for the prime positions and that spurs exhibitors to sign up early to secure desired sites. And, of course, the lower price sweetens the deal.
“As we saw from the latest Nor-Shipping in April, the calibre of visitors we attract is second to none – over 80% were management level executives this time, with some 83 nationalities represented. We’re not the world’s biggest maritime event, but we can claim to have unparalleled quality. So, positioning stands to catch the eyes of the people that count is key.”
Norvik adds: “Companies with an understanding of this need to move fast… and to be fair they usually do. We already have strong advance bookings for June next year, and we’ll see many more before this new deadline.”
Industry epicentre
Nor-Shipping offers over 22,000 sq m of exhibition space at its Lillestrøm-based facilities, with knowledge, networking and social events spread across the nearby Norwegian capital. Despite the fact that many countries were still experiencing travel restrictions, 2022’s event in April was deemed a huge success. There were over 21,000 unique visits to the exhibition halls, approximately 8,000 guests at social venues in Oslo, and about 150 separate, and packed, associated and partner events.
Showcasing and sharing the latest insights and innovation was also central to the event’s impetus. From the popular Blue Talks, looking at sustainable solutions for ocean development, through to technical seminars and the main Ocean Leadership Conference (with an audience of over 800 C-level executives) there were around 300 influential speakers delivering valuable takeaways.
Norvik believes the success bodes well for 2023.
Bright future
“Understandably, I think many of the exhibitors and attendees were using 2022’s programme as a litmus test,” she notes. “After so long without large-scale industry events some wanted to assess the atmosphere, visitor engagement and all-round enthusiasm on show – testing the water before planning long-term strategies for future face-to-face gatherings.
“From the feedback we’ve received – with well over 90% of both exhibitors and visitors keen to come back – we can see the conclusion they’ve come to. As such, we have every reason to believe in a ‘best ever’ Nor-Shipping for 2023, in terms of quality, numbers and geographical spread. Naturally, that makes it more important than ever to tailor exhibition participation for maximum impact.”
Nor-Shipping 2023 runs from 6-9 June at the NOVA Spektrum exhibition facility in Lillestrøm and across a variety of venues in Oslo. Companies looking to secure an optimal position at early bird rates should book now.
