Power of Maritime Networking...

I am speaking at the International Festival of Business 2018, as part of a delegation of the UK Department for International Trade. I'll be talking about the power of networks in the maritime industry - and of how Propeller Club Liverpool has helped to create one of the most vibrant shipping communities in the country, if not the maritime world. Here are my thoughts: 

When we think of social networks, we likely think about being online…but the power of people connecting face to face is still strong. Perhaps even stronger when allied with interactions through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

For us in Liverpool, there was a concern that the maritime world was becoming too disparate. While companies were still working well together under the cover of the cluster concept, for people it was seemingly harder to engage with fellow maritime professionals.

So, the innovation we decided upon was to look back to move forward – we simply sought to get people together. The power of a network, harnessing relationships and actual physical meetings

It may not sound revolutionary, or even particularly clever – but you would be surprised at the effect. Liverpool’s maritime community is engaged in ways which haven’t been seen for probably 50 or more years.

Propeller Club Liverpool was founded based on the fact that there are so many professionals working out of the city – but they work all over the world. They are in London, Singapore, Dubai – wherever there is a maritime footprint, you will find someone from Liverpool involved. That is great and wholly positive – but to leverage the incredible scale and scope of our shipping family, we needed to find the ties to bind us all together.

In establishing a formal membership group, we were able to do that – we were able to host networking evenings, our monthly First Thursday events. We were able to have golf days and sports events, to have quiz nights, to have lunches with amazing guest speakers.

By bringing people together we have seen an incredible change in the perceptions of our city. This is no longer seen as a place of maritime legacy and heritage but of a bright maritime future.

Liverpool is a proud city and Liverpolitans are proud people – in bringing the skills, knowledge, contacts, experience and passion together, we are building on the foundations of centuries. Our innovation is to build up and out, to forge a network with our members as the hub, and their relationships as the spokes which deliver jobs, income, and all manner of positives to our city, our region, and our nation.

To have an event in Liverpool such as IBF, and the festivals which have gone before are a testament to the positivity and energy. I am proud to be here, to talk to you, and to tell you of the amazing things going on. But you don’t need me – just look around, listen to the presentations, the conversations and witness the vigour with which Liverpool does business.

Shipping is global, and obviously, BREXIT means potential threats – but it has to be about opportunity too. I personally have massive misgivings, but I am soothed by the knowledge that here, in the UK, in the north, and in my city we have the people, the universities, companies and the connections which will mean shipping will continue to be the driving commercial force it always has been.

Thank you for listening, I look forward to questions, but even more importantly, to meeting you and chatting…but as I end, I’d like you to remember one quote, your network is your net worth, and you end up with the face and business contacts you deserve. So let’s get out there and meet people, do business with them and make good things happen in Great Britain.