6th Mare Forum Hong Kong 2026

The intimate gathering of Hong Kong Maritime Week

Hong Kong Maritime Week brings many important conferences, plenaries and ceremonial occasions — all valuable, and most of them large, formal, and protocol-heavy. Mare Forum Hong Kong is deliberately the opposite. We convene a single, intimate afternoon for 80 to 120 principals — shipowners, financiers, regulators, classification, port authorities, and senior government — in an informal, conversational setting where executives speak candidly rather than from prepared remarks. The 'Celebrating Hong Kong's Maritime Community' reception that closes the day is small enough that every guest in the room is someone worth speaking to, and the conversations that follow tend to be the ones that actually matter during the week.

It is, in short, the cosy, unscripted counterpoint to the more formal occasions of HKMW — and consistently the most productive afternoon and evening of the week for many of our returning participants.

Why attend

- For Shipowners, Ship Managers, and Charterers: Understand how geopolitical realignment, sanctions risk, route disruption, and the IMO Net-Zero framework directly affect your competitive position. Learn how leading operators are securing financing, retrofitting fleets, and positioning for profitability in 2027 and beyond.

- For Financiers, Lessors, Brokers, and Capital Providers: Discover where smart money is moving next — across dry bulk, tankers, and containers. Explore Hong Kong's competitive advantage as a ship leasing and green finance hub, the newbuilding vs second-hand debate, and the alternative capital structures shaping the next cycle.

- For Government, Regulators, Port and Classification: Engage directly with industry on Hong Kong's strategic role in connecting East and West, IMO 2030/2050 implementation, and the policy conditions necessary for continued maritime leadership.

- For Maritime Service Providers, Lawyers, and Consultants: Connect with the C-suite executives who make strategic decisions. Understand evolving client needs around sanctions compliance, financing innovation, decarbonisation, ESG frameworks, and risk management.

The 6th Mare Forum Hong Kong difference

- One Afternoon, One Room — No parallel tracks, no breakout rooms, no overflow seating. Every participant is in the same conversation, all afternoon. The intimacy is the point.

- Dynamic, Candid Debate — At Mare Forum, executives don't read speeches. Panellists engage in direct, challenging debate grounded in market reality and strategic insight. Audiences participate actively. Ideas are exchanged honestly. The result: genuine intelligence and actionable insights.

- No Boring Presentations — We reject the traditional conference model of long speeches and corporate presentations. Instead, curated discussions among decision-makers — the people who actually shape the industry.

- Principals Only — Over six editions in Hong Kong and three decades globally, Mare Forum has built a reputation for attracting senior shipping executives, investors, ministers, and thought leaders — and for keeping the room small enough that they can speak frankly. If you are serious about maritime business in Asia, you should attend Mare Forum.

- Networking that Goes Somewhere — Beyond the formal sessions, the 'Celebrating Hong Kong's Maritime Community' reception creates space for the meaningful conversations, partnerships, and business development that the larger events of the week simply cannot host.

If you are active in the shipping business and interested in doing business in Asia, this forum is not to be missed. The 6th Mare Forum Hong Kong 2026 — Where Leaders Gather, Ideas Collide, and the Future of Shipping Takes Shape.

PROGRAMME

[The full programme, speakers and panellists will be published shortly. Stay tuned.]

13:30 – 14:00 · Registration & Networking

14:00 – 15:30 · SESSION 1 · OPENING Hong Kong at the Helm: Navigating a Fragmented World

Setting the strategic context for 2026 and beyond, this opening session examines Hong Kong's role at the centre of global trade in an increasingly fragmented world. With shifting alliances, contested trade routes, and the IMO Net-Zero framework reshaping the economics of shipping, the question is how Hong Kong — as Asia's premier maritime, finance, and arbitration hub — continues to lead.

Key themes:

• Geopolitical realignment and its impact on global trade flows
• IMO 2030/2050 targets — where do we stand?
• Hong Kong's strategic role in connecting East and West
• Energy transition and maritime decarbonisation — challenges and opportunities

Panel composition: HK SAR Government (Keynote), Shipowner, Port Authority, Classification Society, and a multilateral maritime institution.

- Bjorn Hojgaard CEO - Anglo Eastern
- Richard Hext Chairman - Hong Kong Shipowners Association & Chairman - Vanmar Shipping

15:30 – 16:00 · Networking Break

16:00 – 17:30 · SESSION 2 · INVESTMENTS Capital Strategies: Where Smart Money Moves Next

Where does smart money go in a market shaped by geopolitical risk, regulatory transformation, and capital discipline? This session brings together analysts, owners, lessors, brokers, and investors for a candid debate on the next cycle — and on Hong Kong's competitive advantage as a global ship finance hub.

Key themes:

• Dry bulk, tanker and container market outlook for 2027
• Ship leasing and Hong Kong's competitive advantage as a finance hub
• Newbuilding vs second-hand — risk appetite in 2026
• Green finance, ESG frameworks and alternative capital solutions
• Public commitment / joint declaration on Hong Kong's maritime future

Panel composition: Market Analyst, Shipowner, Financier, Broker, Investor.

- Benjamin Wong Head of Transport, Logistics & Industrials - InvestHK & Conference Chairman & Moderator Session 2

17:30 – 18:30 · Networking Drinks Reception 'Celebrating Hong Kong's Maritime Community'

A relaxed, private reception bringing together delegates, speakers, partners, and the wider Hong Kong maritime community. Small enough that introductions are meaningful, off-record enough that the conversation is real.

Speakers & Panellists

- Benjamin Wong Head of Transport, Logistics & Industrials - InvestHK & Conference Chairman
- Bjorn Hojgaard CEO - Anglo Eastern
- Richard Hext Chairman - Hong Kong Shipowners Association & Chairman - Vanmar Shipping

Principal Partner

Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board (HKMPDB)

Co-branded with Hong Kong Maritime Week 2026.

Register

For sponsorship and speaking enquiries: hello@mareforum.com


‍