Seafarers to tell their own stories at Crew Connect Global

Safety is the focus of this year’s IMO Day of the Seafarer and social media is brimming with stories and tips from crews around the world on how to carry out duties at sea while maintaining high safety standards. But posts, replies, and comments also contain a list of areas for improvement from serving seafarers.

Safety is just one component of the varied roles seafarers fill in their daily routines as shipboard responsibilities continue to evolve at a rapid pace, and social media is a difficult arena for nuanced discussion.

Bringing seafarers’ lived experiences to crewing decision makers, this year’s Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global will introduce a new type of conference session. Experts will conduct 20-minute interviews with serving seafarers to bring their first-hand knowledge to the audience in Manila.

The four “Staying Connected” sessions are spread across the three-day agenda and create an opportunity for the gathered shipowners and operators, management companies, manning agencies, training providers, crew logistics companies, industry associations and other crewing professionals to hear from seafarers directly about how their lives are shaped by work.

Whether live from a ship or live on stage, the show organisers Seatrade Maritime are inviting email applications from companies and individuals who want to share the stories of serving seafarers to the Crew Connect Global audience and shape the event discussion.

Shipping continues to face a shortage of seafarers and so retaining existing talent is just as important as understanding the needs and expectations of young people entering the workforce with a choice of so many career paths. Applications by email for the Staying Connected sessions are welcomed from seafarers of all ranks, disciplines, and seniority, to allow the broadest range of voices and experiences to be heard.

To shine a light on those embarking on their seafaring career, the ever-popular CrewConnect IMEC Cadet Task Force will present the findings of a task they have been assigned over the three-days of CrewConnect Global.

For those looking to celebrate their stand-out achievements or those of a colleague. employee, or respected peer, the Crew Connect Global Awards are now accepting nominations across its free-to-enter categories, including the prestigious Seafarer of the Year Award.

Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.