Oxfordshire business takes the helm at maritime events
Flagship global maritime events organised by Adderbury company
The maritime industry is vital to the British way of life, with over ninety per cent of all the goods the country consumes reaching us by sea. Yet, despite being landlocked and located in the furthest county from the sea, Oxfordshire company, Petrospot, based in Adderbury, is organising two of the world’s most prestigious maritime events, Maritime Week Gibraltar in June, and London International Shipping Week in September.
Llewellyn Bankes Hughes, founder and managing director of Petrospot, is one of the most well-connected people in the maritime industry with a specialism in marine fuel supply and services. He founded Petrospot in 2003 to provide market intelligence, and professional development for the global maritime energy industry. Now, working closely with government and industry, from Britain to Chile, Ghana to Portugal, Panama to Singapore, the company is a major industry publisher, training provider, and organises some of the world’s most prestigious shipping and bunkering events. These include Maritime Week Americas, Maritime Week Africa, Maritime Week Gibraltar, the Middle East Bunkering Convention and Aracon in Rotterdam.
2019 is an especially significant year as Maritime Week Gibraltar taking place this month from June 24 – 28 is the first event of its kind ever to take place in the British Overseas Territory. To mark the occasion, British naval ship HMS Echo will make a special visit to the port. Hundreds of visitors will attend the event for a week of talks and discussions which will be opened by The Hon. Fabian Picardo QC MP, Chief Minister of HM Government of Gibraltar.
The Minister for the Port, the Hon. Gilbert Licudi QC MP, commented:
“Maritime Week Gibraltar is a great opportunity to showcase all that is good and special about our port. We want people to come and have hands-on experience of the nature of our jurisdiction, the places, the professionalism, that exists here.”
London International Shipping Week, also organised by Petrospot in partnership with Buckinghamshire-based company Elaborate Communications is a huge global event in the maritime calendar and never more so than this year when all eyes will once again be on the Capital as the October Brexit deadline looms. Llewellyn Banks Hughes commented:
“Whatever the Brexit process and outcomes, it will be vital to highlight the key role Britain plays on the international maritime stage, and remind the world of the strength and breadth of the country’s maritime offering.
“Some 20,000 industry professionals are scheduled to come to London for a week that will include up to 200 individual events held at dozens of the Capital’s most iconic venues, including No 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament and the London Stock Exchange.
“The contribution of our ports and shipping industry to the UK economy warrants recognition and these events will help this happen. No one could live further from the sea than I do in Britain but it is my privilege to be involved in our great maritime industry from here in Oxfordshire.”