At SMF Fest, maritime industry leaders…
Collaborate on targets to improve the entire marine fuel sector
Calibrate individual organisation’s direction vis a vis the other organisations
Align on views about the different fuels
Understand the rationale for different fuels’investments
Challenge policy makers
Represent a unified front to the non-marine world
100% of participants would recommend SMF Fest to their colleagues and peers
100% of participants said they would join a future edition
Objectives of SMF Fest
To continue to be a highly differentiated, engaging, interactive, enjoyable and inspiring gathering
To be a trusted neutral annual event that the community looks forward to, and commits to, year after year
Far less about sales & marketing or commercial promotion of organisations in the industry and more about finding solutions to common challenges that benefit the industry as a whole
To promote diversity & sustainability during planning and execution
Incorporate technology in a sensible and enjoyable way for participants
The questions SMF Fest tackles
What are my current & future shipping fuel options?
What are some practical ways to reduce our maritime carbon footprint?
What about local emissions?
Why can’t we use ammonia or hydrogen now?
Do we have all the right stakeholders in the room?
What do we wish regulators knew?
What makes industry success stories so successful?
What can we learn from other industries?
How SMF Fest is run
Acknowledging the combined value of experience and diversity of views that make up SMF Fest participants, we employ a uniquely engaging methodology to get the most out of our time together.
To that end, SMF Fest is an intimate gathering (~80 pax, by invitation only) with very few plenary sessions and an abundance of interactive problem-solving exercises.
And instead of experiencing a typical conference agenda, participants are taken on a journey that uncovers the true issues at hand and provide a setting for collaborative and meaningful discussions.
In breakout groups, along with mini classroom sessions, participants pick the topics they’re interested in and rotate around the room (topics are repeated, depending on demand).
The group then comes back together for a final fish bowl discussion, where the results of the individual group work is presented / challenged and participants volunteer to continue work on the topics that most resonate with them.
We also utilise live graphical scribing extensively, along with custom-designed workboards, in order to effectively capture the discussions ‘as they happen’. Participants can look forward to deep introductions, a welcome stand-up tapas supper and a closing family-style fiesta to strengthen those connections they’ll build during the event.
Lastly, the ‘Fest’ in SMF Fest means we plan to have fun while we solve the most complex challenges facing our industry!
About uncommon conferences
Launched in 2019, uncommon conferences specialises in the design, delivery and facilitation of collaborative in-person and online conferences, meetings & workshops in the maritime, energy and resources sectors. Through ceo & co-founder Banu Kannu, UC has been involved with SMF Fest since 2016 when it started out as Gas Fest.
About ship.energy
Launched in 2020 to chart shipping’s decarbonisation, ship.energy offers news, comment, longer reads and podcasts via its online platform. ship.energy also organises the annual ship.energy summit, and the Marine Energy Transition Forum which is supported by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. ship.energy is also a co-partner of Shipping Innovation which owns and organises London International Shipping Week.,
