8th Mare Forum Istanbul 2024

The seven previous Mare Forum Istanbul conferences have bristled with ideas and dynamic debate. A high-level audience consisting of leading executives from the shipping industry appreciates and makes the most of the dynamic format and honest debate.

The conference will take place in an open, daring and stimulating environment combined with transparent discussions, with executives actively participating, discussing, debating and exchanging their thoughts, ideas, visions, and roles in (green)shipping, energy transition, energy security, decarbonisation, financing, and investing models for today and the future and how the Turkish maritime cluster can design their bright maritime future and what are the  Shipowners and  Shipbuilders perspectives.  

There were no boring company presentations or long and predictable speeches, only dynamic and lively discussions between the panellists and audience participants.

The participants are shipping Executives, Ship owners, Ship managers, Charterers, Traders, Logistics providers, Capital providers, Investors, Energy Executives, Regulators, Maritime Lawyers, Consultants, Shipbuilders, Classification Societies, Press, Shipping services providers, and Smart Entrepreneurs.‍

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If you are in the shipping business and are interested in doing shipping business in Türkiye, Be There.

P R O G R A M M E

[The programme and list of panellists will be published soon]


TENTATIVE LIST OF PANELLISTS (as of 21 May)
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Murat Kiran President, Turkish Shipbuilders Association GISBIR
Tamer Kıran Chairman, Turkish Chamber of Shipping
Mehtap Özdemir Secretary-General, Turkish Shipbuilders’ Association GISBIR
Ioannis Kostoulas President Mare Forum
Christophe Tygaat Secretary General, Sea Europe
Joel Walton CEO, Maritime Authority of Cayman Islands and Cayman Registry
Erhan ESINDUY Foreign Relations Commission Member, Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR / Managing Director - ESKOMARINE / General Manager, Liberian Registry Istanbul
‍Selcuk Sencer Esenyel Lawyer - Founder &  Managing Partnrr, ESENYEL | PARTNERS LAWYERS & CONSULTANTS, [CONFRENCE CHAIRMAN]
Chris Vartzis Partner, Stephenson Harwood
Mustafa INSEL Head of Technical Affairs and R&D Commission / Turkish Shipbuilders Association
Ecem Yıldırım Senior Associate, Heuvels-Uras Law Firm
Michiel Steeman Managing Partner, Zuyderzee Capital
Mustafa SUNGU Managing Director/Partner - Norse Shipyard
Nurettin Caliskan Board Member, President International Relations, Turkish Shipbuilders Association GISBIR
Dimitris Charisoglou Regional Marketing Manager, Seltas Shipyard
Nikos Marmatsouris Group Senior Marketing Manager, GAC Shipping SA
Mufit Aslan Deputy CEO and next-generation Owner, Seltas Shipyard
Ebru SENKAYA, Board Member / Turkish Shipbuilders Association GISBIR - CEO / EOS GROUP
Iraklis Tsirigotis Director of Origination, Neptune Maritime Leasing
Abdulvahit SIMSEK Foreign Relations Commission Member Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR / Chairman, AVS Global Ship Supply
Mehmet AVCI Foreign Relations Commission Member Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR - External Affairs Manager, Turk Loydu
Levent BILGILI Associate Professor / Bandırma 17 Eylul University
Burcu Berrak Atlas P&I, Board Member, Wista Turkey
Rona Kaspi Senior Partner , AKT Law Firm
Nicolas Vernicos President, Vernicos Maritime Group (TBC)
‍Murat ERISTI Financial Advisor, Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR
Ismail Hakkİ HELVACIOGLU Dean of Engineering Faculty
Burçin Yılmaz Head of Finance, Cemre Shipyard
‍Emre Ersoy Partner, Ersoy Bilgehan
‍Aydın Erdemir Terminal Marketing and Sales Deputy General Manager / TOROS
Florian Stubbe Managing Director, Columbia Finance
Ali İbrahim Kontaytekin Deputy Chairman of the Board, Turkish Shipowners Association
Kartal Cona Managing Director, Direct ShipFinance
Mike Konstantinidis Managing Director, Vessel Optimisation, ZeroNorth A/S
Panayotis Zacharioudakis Director, OceanFinance Ltd
Andreas Chrysostomou Executive Director of Clean Shipping Alliance, CSO Tototheo Maritime
Vicky Stamati Business Development Executive – AVS
Göktuğ Kara Team Coordinator Transport Policy and Climate Change, European Commission
Irene Rosberg Programme Director, Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics (The Blue MBA), Copenhagen Business School
Joep Gorgels Chief Financial and Business Development Officer, EST-Floattech
Albrecht Grell General Manager , OceanScore
Gürsel Yıldız Board Member, Turk Loydu
Arda Ozan Demircelik Marketing Manager, TK Tuzla Shipyard
Inanç Işıl Yıldırım Professor, Architecture and Yacht Interior Design Specialist
Yasemin Bilgehan Polat Ülter  Sales Manager, Cemre Shipyard
Mustafa Sargın R&D and Advanced Engineering Manager, NAVTEK
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12:00
Registration (and light lunch)

13:15
Session 1

Opening and Welcome

- Ioannis Kostoulas President Mare Forum
- Murat Kiran President, Turkish Shipbuilders Association GISBIR
- Selcuk Sencer Esenyel Lawyer - Founder &  Managing Partner, ESENYEL | PARTNERS LAWYERS & CONSULTANTS, [CONEFRENCE CHAIRMAN]
- Cem Seven Chairman, Ship, Yacht and Marine Services Exporters Association, Türkiye
‍- Tamer Kıran Chairman, Turkish Chamber of Shipping
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13:40
Session2

Where is the world, Turkey, and shipping heading?  

Geopolitical Considerations, Shipping, Trade and Trade Patterns, Globalism vs Regionalism, Economy, Energy Transition and Energy Security, Regulations.

SESSION CHAIRMAN:
- Erhan ESINDUY Foreign Relations Commission Member, Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR / Managing Director - ESKOMARINE  / General Manager,Liberian Registry Istanbul

DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
- Selcuk Sencer Esenyel Lawyer - Founder &  Managing Partnerr, ESENYEL | PARTNERS LAWYERS & CONSULTANTS
- Mustafa INSEL Head of Technical Affairs and R&D commission / Turkish Shipbuilders Association
- Ismail Hakkİ HELVACIOGLU Dean of Engineering Faculty
- Aydın Erdemir Terminal Marketing and Sales Deputy General Manager / TOROS
- Joel Walton CEO, Maritime Authority of Cayman Islands and Cayman Registry
- Christophe Tygaat Secretary General, Sea Europe
- Irene Rosberg Programme Director, Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics (The Blue MBA), Copenhagen Business School
- Joep Gorgels Chief Financial and Business Development Officer, EST-Floattech
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14:20
Session 3

Are we getting any closer?

The Energy Transition and Decarbonization: What are the key lessons to be learned? 
Financing the Green Shipping, where does the money come from, and how do you get it?

SESSION CHAIRMAN:
Michiel Steeman Managing Partner, Zuyderzee Capital
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DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
- Mehmet AVCI Foreign Relations Commission Member Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR - External Affairs Manager, Turk Loydu
- Göktuğ Kara Team Coordinator Transport Policy and Climate Change, European Commission
- Iraklis Tsirigotis Director of Origination, Neptune Maritime Leasing
- Andreas Chrysostomou Executive Director of Clean Shipping Alliance, CSO Tototheo Maritime
- Mike Konstantinidis Managing Director, Vessel Optimisation, ZeroNorth A/S
- Levent BILGILI Associate Professor / Bandırma 17 Eylul University
- Murat ERISTI Financial Advisor, Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR
- Ismail Hakkİ HELVACIOGLU Dean of Engineering Faculty
- Burçin Yılmaz Head of Finance, Cemre Shipyard
- Rona Kaspi Senior Partner , AKT Law Firm
- Kartal Cona Managing Director, Direct ShipFinance
- Panayotis Zacharioudakis Director, OceanFinance Ltd
- Florian Stubbe Managing Director, Columbia Finance
- Albrecht Grell General Manager , OceanScore

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15:20
‍BREAK

16:00
session 4

What are the shipowners' and shipbuilders' perspectives and strategies?

‍SESSION CHAIRMAN:
Mustafa INSEL Head of Technical Affairs and R&D commission / Turkish Shipbuilders Association

DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
- Ali İbrahim Kontaytekin Deputy Chairman of the Board, Turkish Shipowners Association
- Mustafa SUNGU Managing Director/Partner - Norse Shipyard
- Ebru SENKAYA, Board Member / Turkish Shipbuilders Association GISBIR - CEO / EOS GROUP
- Gürsel Yıldız Board Member, Turk Loydu
- Arda Ozan Demircelik Marketing Manager, TK Tuzla Shipyard
- Dimitris Charisoglou Regional Marketing Manager, Seltas Shipyard
- Yasemin Bilgehan Polat Ülter  Sales Manager, Cemre Shipyard
- Mehtap Özdemir Secretary-General, Turkish Shipbuilders’ Association GISBIR
- Mustafa Sargın R&D and Advanced Engineering Manager, NAVTEK
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16:40
session 5

How can the Turkish maritime cluster design its bright maritime future?

What does this mean to shipowners, traders, financiers, and other service providers?

SESSION CHAIRMAN:
- Abdulvahit SIMSEK Foreign Relations Commission Member Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR / Chairman, AVS Global Ship Supply

DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
- Capt Ozgur Dogan Gunes General Manager & Representative, Columbia Shipmanagement
- Vicky Stamati Business Development Executive – AVS
- Ecem Yıldırım Senior Associate, Heuvels-Uras Law Firm
- Emre Ersoy Partner, Ersoy Bilgehan
- Mufit Aslan Deputy CEO and next-generation owner, Seltas Shipyard
- Irene Rosberg Programme Director, Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics (The Blue MBA), Copenhagen Business School
- Nikos Marmatsouris Group Senior Marketing Manager, GAC Shipping SA
- Burcu Berrak Atlas P&I, Board Member, Wista Turkey
- Chris Vartzis Partner, Stephenson Harwood

17:20‍

Conclusions and recommendations

- Murat Kiran President, Turkish Shipbuilders Association GISBIR
- Ioannis Kostoulas President Mare Forum

18:00

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THE NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION and NETWORKING CONFERENCE DINNER
will be held at the GARDEN of GISBIR.

Address: GISBIR , Postane Mah. Çınarlı Sok. No:34 Mercan Tuzla, İstanbul
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- The Networking Drinks Reception at 18:00 will be hosted by IRI/THE MARSHALL ISLANDS REGISTRY and AKT LAW FIRM
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- The Network Conference Dinner at 19:30 will be hosted by ESENYEL | PARTNERS LAWYERS & CONSULTANTS

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Room Accommodation ‍at the conference venue

Holiday Inn Istanbul - Tuzla Bay, an IHG Hotel

If you want to book a room at the conference venue using the discounted Mare Forum rates, please get in touch with the hotel by email and mention "Mareforum"  sales@hiistanbultuzla.com

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