We live and work in interesting and challenging times, that we suspect we all wish were just interesting and not quite so challenging.  As an industry we tackle “interesting” with relish: getting better consumption, meeting our customers trans- portation needs or training up a future cadre of seafarers capable of running the best ships engineers and technologists can develop. Challenges like the current freight market, a still heavy order book or a scourge like piracy are things we could do well without – but which we will meet head on.

Today, given the economic and commercial pressures, what may have been logically evolving shifts in the way we conduct business are in fact now Game Changers.

Because market conditions are so acute, challenges are mag- nified, and the premium for working smarter, better and more efficiently is extremely clear. The health and future of global trade and shipping sometimes seems to hang in the balance.

At  Shipping 2012 we have assembled topics and speakers who, at the top of their game, are most actively immersed in the challenging Game Changers of the day. The goal is noth- ing less than to contribute powerfully to your success.   As always we are cognizant of how fortunate we are to have the creative energies of the industry around the world focused on Stamford in March and we pledge a pace and quality of infor- mation and networking energy to master any Game Changing challenge.