The Ports Conclave, the first international event in the history of the Indian Maritime University (IMU), took place at its main study campus near Chennai. The conclave was opened by numerous dignitaries, including the Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways’ shipping secretary and the IMU vice-chancellor as well as the consul of Belgium. A session of Port Endeavor gameplay was organised with six groups of seven players, made up of a mix of middle port management from port authorities and IMU students. The gameplay focused mainly on resilience, community and GHG reduction activities and according to direct feedback was resoundingly well-received. The two conclave sessions, involving speakers from IAPH and Port of Antwerp-Bruges International, focused on risk and resilience, citing the recent recovery from the tsunami in Chennai as well as other major crises and events that impacted the port, including a significant cyclone and oil spill. The second session included a video from Niels Vanlaer, chairman of the IAPH Risk and Resilience Committee, explaining and promoting the IAPH Risk and Resilience Guidelines. Ennarasu Karunesan gave context as to how the port industry had adapted to constant game-changing events impacting the sector since the pandemic. There were further interventions from Victor Shieh, plus the former chairman of Chennai Port Trust, Gujarat Maritime Board and the chief information security officer of the National Institute of Disaster Management.
