IBIA goes digital
IBIA is adapting and evolving and gets an even more global character!
Innovation and transformation are what make us meet our members’ needs
Just over a month before the lockdown in the UK and much of the world, IBIA held a very well attended and successful IBIA Annual Dinner with almost 1,000 guests. It was mesmerising, and on behalf of the Secretariat, I would like to thank you all for being there! We really hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Until next time…
As I write, we are excited to announce the launch of IBIA’s newly designed website on www.ibia.net. Our goal is to create an engaging experience for our trusted and valued members. We wanted to make the new website easier to navigate, a better platform to promote our corporate members and offer the unique opportunity to all our members to take advantage of a high-end online portal.
What does this portal offer?
This portal is specially designed to give our members access to IBIA’s Membership database, so they can get in contact with industry leaders and develop new business relations from the convenience of their PC. How can they do that? By messaging directly, emailing and setting up a meeting straight from the member’s portal.
Working groups will also be hosted on the portal. These are a core means of member participation and the mechanism to discuss and develop IBIA’s position and responses to key industry issues, whether international, regional, national or local. Outcomes can include input to IBIA’s work at the IMO, guidance documents and publications.
Articles and News is where our members will get full access to all articles and news produced by IBIA.
After months of hard work and dedication, we are delighted to finally take this new designs and membership portal live.
Let’s move to our events agenda.
Convenience and flexibility are what this period has allowed us to offer to our industry. For the first time, IBIA is launching Online Bunker Training Courses, which will give students the opportunity to fit learning time around the rest of their day, instead of the other way around. The five modules we are introducing are the following:
- Bunker Market Regulations and Enforcement Understanding ISO 8217 and ISO 4259
- Best practice for suppliers with VLSFO
- Best practices for users with VLSFO
- Adapting to a changing market
The renowned expert in the bunkering industry Nigel Draffin, Aauthor of 12 books on Bunkering and IBIA’s Treasurer, will deliver the online IBIA Bunker Training courses.
The courses will be aimed at all bunker industry stakeholders who are keen to gain general knowledge of marine fuel. It will be of value to anyone wanting to gain a comprehensive overview the bunker market and will be delivered in clear, understandable language with delegates able to ask questions and seek clarification to any topics covered. The courses can be taken as stand-alone modules, but students will gain the most if they take all five in the order suggested. IBIA has invested in a platform that facilitates interactivity between students and the trainer, meaning students will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the trainer.
Each student who successfully completes a topic will receive a certificate of attendance.
This will demonstrate to others that the student has undergone a programme of training covering the subjects of the courses completed and give recognition of that achievement. Companies who sponsor their employees to attend will have improved the skill set of their staff, improved the level of in-house knowledge and expertise and be able to show their clients that, as a company, they see the training, upgrading and development of their staff as a valuable resource. This initiative will allow students to participate from their own office or home, and will save costs over conventional training by avoiding travel and accommodation costs.
As the programme is rolled out, we are planning to add further courses, which will cover some topics in greater detail such as measurement and survey, legal and contractual issues and claims handling. The Online IBIA Bunker Training Courses are recorded and available to purchase only from IBIA’s website.
Moving to the IBIA Annual Convention 2020, we are certain that this will be our most successful Convention to date with a global focus. The IBIA Annual Convention 2020 will take place on the 3-5 November as planned and it will be transformed into a virtual Convention. This will be the greatest opportunity for our sponsors, attendees, speakers and partners to meet at the same time, in the same environment.
All the details will soon be announced on our website. Stay tuned.
As for the Middle East Bunker Conference in Dubai with S&P Global Platts (2 September) and the Future Fuels Conference with the UK Chamber of Shipping (29 September), we currently monitor the situation.
If we are confident enough for our participants’ health and safety, we will go ahead.
IBIA will continue working on ways to improve our offering to members. We hope you are keeping yourselves safe and healthy and we are looking forward to ‘meet’ you soon again.
If you want to become a speaker, sponsor or find out more about our events, you can contact me any time.
Sofia Konstantopoulou, Global Head, Marketing & Events
Tel: +44(0)7531918914, Email: sofia.konstantopoulou@ibia.net