UBM buys Seatrade Communications to enhance Maritime industry offering

LONDON, July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM, owner and organiser of Cruise Shipping Miami, Marintec China, Sea Japan, and other events serving the Cruise and General Maritime industries worldwide, today announces its acquisition of Seatrade Communications Ltd. 

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Seatrade is recognised as a brand leader in the global business to business maritime industries. The company's Cruise sector events include Seatrade Latin America Cruise Convention and Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, supported by Seatrade Cruise Review and the online portal Seatrade Insider. General Maritime events include Sea Asia in Singapore and Seatrade Middle East Maritime in Dubai, supported by the online Seatrade Global portal and Seatrade Magazine. In the Offshore Marine space it organises Seatrade Offshore Marine and Workboats Middle East in Abu Dhabi.

UBM and Seatrade have a long history of successful partnership on various maritime events worldwide. This acquisition brings together the two leading portfolios in this sector, serving to simplify the events landscape for customers and industry stakeholders alike.

Seatrade has been led by its Executive Chairman and owner Chris Hayman since 2003. Chris will remain with the business as Chairman, ensuring continuity of relationships, content and strategic guidance. The business will remain headquartered in Colchester, UK, with its offices in Dubai, Singapore and China continuing to drive growth in these regions.

Michael Duck, UBM's Global Maritime Director and Executive Vice President of UBM Asia said:

"We have enjoyed a successful partnership with Seatrade for many years, and are delighted to now bring UBM and Seatrade together as one business to better serve our community of customers, delegates and readers across the maritime world. The unified portfolio and management structure will create a simplified, coherent and stronger global offering for our clients. From both a company and personal perspective, I am delighted that Chris Hayman – who is widely known and respected throughout the maritime industry – will be staying with the business. We look forward to working with him and the world class teams at both UBM and Seatrade over the coming years."

Chris Hayman, Seatrade's Chairman and owner, said:

"Seatrade's strategy of developing high quality events and global intelligence for the general shipping, offshore marine and cruise sectors, fits well with UBM's world class events in these fields. We look forward to working with them to expand our combined global reach, and to provide the kind of content which is so critical to success in these dynamic industry sectors."