CASE STUDY

Seafarer 2050 Summit

MANILA, PHILIPPINES

In October 2023 Afion produced the Seafarer 2050 Summit: the world’s leading conferencefor maritime labour affairs. With a global workforce exceeding 1.9 million, seafarers are essential for powering an industry with an estimated $15 trillion per year.


As the Philippines is the world’s foremost supplier of ocean-going labour and steeped in maritime history, it was the ideal location to host this event and mark the International Day of the Seafarer. The summit was opened by the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand R. Marcos, and convened in association with the Filipino Shipowners’ Association, the International Maritime Employers’ Council, and the International Transport Workers’ Federation.


Afion designed a unique programme intended to achieve engagement at the very highest level of international affairs, and which counted Heads of State, Heads of UN Agencies, Ministers, and Ambassadors among its delegates and speakers. The summit brought together over 250 government ministers, industry regulators, and union leaders to create a better future for the maritime workforce.  

Our team worked in close collaboration with our partners in the Philippines’ Department of Transportation to ensure that this event resulted in a blueprint for the ongoing work to define the skills and standards of training needed for the seafarers of the future. The programme featured the premiere of a film created specially for our event: An Adventurous Spirit, which highlighted the experience of seafarers around the world. The event concluded with a spectacular Gala Dinner at the Philippines’ National Museum of Natural History. The Seafarer 2050 Summit exceeded its ambition of achieving the high-level international cooperation required to successfully advance our client’s strategic objectives and make a significant global contribution.

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