Est. 1999Book tickets
About Since 1999

The room where
the industry
thinks aloud.

For over two decades Mare Forum has gathered the people who own, finance, build and regulate the world's ships — not for another panel of platitudes, but for the candid conversations that actually move capital and policy.

Founded in 1999, Mare Forum began as a single meeting of shipowners who wanted somewhere to speak plainly. It has since grown into a season of forums across Europe, the Americas and Asia — from the flagship gathering in Mykonos to dedicated summits on ship finance and the superyacht industry.

What hasn't changed is the format: senior decision-makers, on the record, in a room small enough that the conversation stays honest. No sales pitches from the stage. No questions planted in advance. Just the agenda the industry can't afford to avoid.

What sets the forum apart

01

On the record

Senior figures say what they actually think — the discussions you won't hear repeated at any other conference.

02

Decision-makers only

Owners, financiers, yards and regulators in one room — kept small enough that the dialogue stays candid.

03

Every seat is a panel seat

No sponsored keynotes. Every registered participant is a potential panellist, and the agenda follows the argument.

27+
Years convening the maritime industry
10
Forums in the 2026 season
350+
Forums convened since 1999
25k+
Senior delegates in the room

Leadership

The small team that curates the agenda and chairs the room.
Ioannis (Jannis) Kostoulas
Founder & President
Ioannis
Chairs the flagship sessions and has steered the forum's agenda since 1999.
Georgios (Ilios) Kostoulas
Managing Director
Georgios
Runs the forum season end to end, from programme to venue.
Nemos Kostoulas
Head of Innovation
Nemos
Develops the digital side of the forum and the year-round programme.
Luca van de Polder
Conference Team
Luca
Delegate relations and on-the-day running of the forums.
Thomas Mayer
Conference Team
Thomas
Delegate relations and on-the-day running of the forums.
Yagmur Acar
Conference Team
Yagmur
Delegate relations and on-the-day running of the forums.

Frequently asked

Everything you need before booking. Still unsure? hello@mareforum.com

01

What is Mare Forum?

Mare Forum is a series of senior maritime leadership conferences founded in 1999. More than 350 forums have been convened since — across shipping, ship finance and the superyacht industry — in cities from Athens and Rotterdam to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Mare Forum attendees are senior decision-makers from across maritime — shipowners, financiers, charterers, class societies, regulators and yards. Forums are designed for people who shape decisions, not for a general audience.

Most forums are by invitation to keep the room senior and the conversation candid. You can request an invitation from any forum's page, or email hello@mareforum.com.

Yes. We build agendas around real debate, and we welcome speaker and session proposals. Write to programme@mareforum.com with a short note on the topic and the forum you have in mind.

The in-person forums are full working sessions held in cities worldwide. The webinar series brings the same standard of debate online between editions, and is open to the Mare Forum membership.

Sponsors earn a genuine place in the programme rather than a banner. Global, lead and media packages are available — see the sponsorship page or email partners@mareforum.com.

Yes — through our consultancy practice we design, chair and convene bespoke sessions for owners, banks and industry bodies. See the consultancy page to discuss a brief.

Join the conversation in 2026.

See the calendar