Leading maritime organisations such as Bibby Marine, Peel Ports Group, Cruise Liverpool and the Royal Navy will descend on Anfield stadium in April for a special event organised by Mersey Maritime. Tony McDonough reports

Mersey Maritime will bring together some of the biggest names in the £5bn Liverpool city region maritime sector at a special event in April.

Each month Mersey Maritime, a leading cluster organisation that represents hundreds of maritime businesses, holds a Face-2-Face networking event that features top industry speakers.

It is usually held on the first Tuesday of each month at its headquarters in Birkenhead. However, on Tuesday, April 4, Mersey Maritime will be taking the Face-2-Face on the road to Liverpool FC’s famous Anfield stadium.

As part of the Face-2-Face session, guests will be able to hear from an industry leading panel, including:

• Sir Michael Bibby, chairman of Bibby Line Group and co-founder of Mersey Maritime
• Phil Hall, Port Director (Mersey Ports) at Peel Ports Group
• Commodore Phil Waterhouse of the Royal Navy
• Angie Redhead, head of city assets at Liverpool City Council (Cruise Liverpool)

The panellists will be offering insights into their work and discussing the benefits of being involved in cluster organisations such as Mersey Maritime and what they see as the most pressing challenges and opportunities currently within the industry.

This event will also be open to non-members. Those attending are being encouraged to “bring a friend” from within the industry to learn about the maritime sector and the impact it has on the region.

That will run from 10am to 12 noon. From 1pm to 3pm, at the same venue, Mersey Maritime will host a Dragons’ Den-style event.

Members and participants of the Port City Innovation Hub will have the opportunity to pitch their business and services to an expert maritime supply chain panel.

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“Face-2-Face is a highlight of the month for our members as they take advantage of great networking opportunities and fascinating insights from our guest speakers. They are always well attended,” said Mersey Maritime chief executive, Chris Shirling-Rooke.

“So in April we wanted to do something a bit special. We wanted to take the Face-2-Face to a bigger space and encourage even more people to come along to learn about Mersey Maritime and the work of our members.

“Maritime is a vast and diverse industry, covering around 33 sub-sectors including shipping, logistics, engineering, professional services, digital and AI, and academia. It is a powerhouse sector, worth £5bn a year in Liverpool city region alone and £116bn nationally.

“Mersey Maritime has helped establish what is the biggest and most successful maritime cluster in the UK. We provide a clarion voice regionally, nationally and internationally, engaging regularly at governmental level.

“Our industry is at the forefront of economic, technological and cultural change. Our members are pioneers of digital innovation and lead the way in the critical drive to net zero.

“They are invested in collaboration, and they demonstrate a commitment to strong ESG policies, putting people at the heart of what they do.

“This is an exciting time to be part of this dynamic sector and we urge people from across our dynamic sector to come along to Anfield on April 4 to find out more.”

Click HERE to find out more about Mersey Maritime or alternatively to book your place at their upcoming Face-2-Face event on the 4th April 2023, click HERE