The Odyssey is one of two ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer which date to the end of the 8th Century BC. Its endurance as a part of Western literature is, in part, due to the challenges faced and overcome by Odysseus in his quest to return home. In many languages the word odyssey has come to refer to an epic voyage. Stanley Kubrick used this analogy to an epic voyage when he created 2001: A Space Odyssey which presented his vision of what space would look like in the year 2001. It is fascinating to see the movie and reflect on what we DID achieve by 2001, what hasn’t been—and why. For the past few months I have urged you to watch this movie, as the correlation to shipping today is profound. One of Stanley Kubrick’s devices in the film was his use of the black monolith to underscore disruptive change. The first time we see the monolith was at the point when ape became man, learned about fire and wielding weapons. The second time is on the moon when astronauts are trying to divine the monolith’s origins—and a force in the universe that placed it there communicates with them. The third time… We are facing shipping’s “monolith” moment now. What that looks like, and what we can do to address it forms the basis of next week’s SHIPPINGInsight 2020 conference and exhibition. Here is a thematic overview of the event:
Day 1 (October 15th)- there is an ABS– hosted seminar in the morning which will look at how shipping can move to sustainability in order to meet 2030 and 2050 goals. The afternoon program will kick off with Dr. David Bowman, an Industrial Scientist who will give us insights on how industries win or lose and why. This will be followed by a panel discussion on being successful with the 2020 changes followed by an enforcement panel addressing HOW this will work. Day 2 (October 16th) starts with a Breakfast Briefing by Moran Cyber, then the conference will be opened by Lois Zabrocky, CEO of International Seaways. We will then move on to a panel discussion on transactional and operational efficiencies, followed by a presentation by Microsoft on the risks of digitalization in the future. Breakout sessions will rotate between digitalization sessions and compliance. Cayman Islands Ship Registry will host lunch and the Shipowner’s Roundtable discussion on what keeps them awake at night. The afternoon will focus on Decarbonization, moving into a discussion on the impacts for shipping of the Poseidon Principles. That evening will be karaoke and dinner, which I am sure you won’t want to miss!!! Day 3 (October 17th) takes us into the future with Arlie Sterling giving us a taste of what future markets will look like followed by a panel discussion on Transformative Innovations and what shipping will soon look like. We will then have our incredible SHARK TANK!!!! We have 6 judges and 8 “chum” who will all be competing for the coveted SHIPPINGInsight Innovation Award, presented at the Award luncheon following.
For more details, go to the AGENDA. You won’t want to miss this event. As we progress through shipping’s “odyssey”, perhaps it will be YOUR monolith moment as well. And if you STILL haven’t watched 2001: A Space Odyssey recently, check it out now!! See you there! Keep optimizing Carleen | 
