Interferry2023 Conference Guide
All systems go for Leading Edge showcase
A very warm welcome to Hobart, Tasmania, for Interferry2023 – our 47th annual conference – the third time that Interferry has staged its industry-leading event in Australia following Sydney in 1995 and Gold Coast in 2002. The nation’s flag for ferry business with pleasure now passes to this year’s hosts, operator member Spirit of Tasmania, whose daily service links the island state with mainland Geelong…so stand by for ‘full speed ahead’ in the coming days!
Returning to Australia pays tribute to our army of Down Under members for decades of exceptional input and support. They are always conspicuous at Interferry conferences wherever in the world – and also valued contributors to our work in general since they rank among the industry’s most innovative operators and suppliers. Their expertise undoubtedly mirrors our conference theme: The Leading Edge – Elevating Customer Experience and Sustainability.
Furthermore the venue offers another opportunity to extend Interferry’s profile, influence and membership in the Asia-Pacific region. Our 2016 conference in Manila certainly demonstrated demand for the benefits of our ‘Stronger Together’ creed, a message we have reinforced far and wide throughout 2023.
In January, after visiting Hobart to finalise conference arrangements, we met various operators and suppliers in Sydney and Brisbane. Chairman Tim Mooney and I saw more current and prospective members in February as speakers at the US Passenger Vessel Association annual conference in Long Beach, California. We stressed the value of domestic ferry operators utilising Interferry’s consultative status at the IMO, where domestic regulators often draw inspiration for national legislation.
European Union (EU) legislators agreed a new regulation in March, FuelEU Maritime. This mandates gradual decreases in shipping’s greenhouse gas fuel intensity – from 2% in 2025 to as much as 80% by 2050 – and the use of Onshore Power Supply by ships at berth.
Interferry argues that Emissions Trading System revenues should be used to help operators meet these targets, and that pending parallel shore-side regulations should provide ports with investment incentives for OPS infrastructure.
In April, regulatory affairs director Johan Roos gave the opening address to more than 350 participants at a ro-ro fire safety webinar delivered by the European Union’s LASH FIRE research consortium. He and I were then aboard the Shippax conference sailing between Spain and Italy. Johan outlined the research findings and the latest IMO/EU emissions reduction and taxation regulations. I added an overview of the emissions challenge and also explored how we can attract, train and retain people for a career in the ferry industry. Coinciding with the event, our first Operators Policy Committee meeting of 2023 took place in Barcelona. The OPC meets three times per year and sets the regulatory priorities we pursue at the IMO and EU.
Concerns over the EU’s much-delayed automated Entry/Exit System for non-EU passport holders re-emerged in May pending a decision on the implementation date – currently forecast as mid2024. The EES features biometric data capture, a time-consuming process with potentially negative knock-on effects for ferry arrival and departure schedules.
The Interferry Board met in Gothenburg, Sweden, in June to develop our next three-year strategic plan starting in 2024. Management was tasked with producing a draft for final approval when the board reconvenes in Hobart. Our travels continued with a site visit preparing for the 2025 conference in Sorrento, Italy. We also reported a record number of almost 50 presentation submissions for this year’s conference. The speakers program was duly agreed and announced in July, followed in August by confirmation of participants in the everpopular Ferry Leaders Panels that reflect on each day’s proceedings. September found Interferry in Belgian capital Brussels for our final OPC meeting of the year and as co-hosts of a European Shipping Summit workshop promoting a modal shift of goods transport from road to short sea services. Meanwhile I was otherwise engaged in Vancouver, addressing the Canadian Ferry Association’s annual conference on how ferries support local economies, safety and the environment. Then it was all hands on deck for the build-up to Hobart. Sincere thanks for coming…now enjoy!