Hub Blog

3rd October 2023

Maritime Innovation Week 2023 Online Experience

3D virtual MIW23 Digital Hub gives delegates anywhere a unique networking & learning opportunity

Maritime Innovation Week, the maritime industry’s festival of sustainable port and maritime innovation, will offered as a hybrid digital and in person event this year, when doors open at the 2050 Innovation Hub this autumn.

As a hybrid event, Maritime Innovation Week 23 offers the ultimate maritime conference, with live venues in London and the North East of England, plus a one day virtual conference delivered through a unique MIW23 Digital Hub. Hundreds of global delegates will be connected live via the MIW23 Digital Hub, which ensures all attendees have an identical experience, whether they are physically attending event venues or joining remotely.

Maritime Innovation Week 2023 runs from 7 – 9 November 2023 and is hosted by a consortium of sponsors, including Maritime UK, the British Ports Association, Department for Transport, Connected Places Catapult, Frazer Nash Consultancy, BT Group and the Port of Tyne. Thought Leadership talks will be given by Equinor, Drax, Northumbrian Water, Institute for Safe Autonomy, UK Chamber of Shipping, University of York, Serco, Ericsson and BT Group.

The MIW23 Digital Hub is a purpose built, fully immersive 3D digital event space, designed to provide delegates with a true, live, conference experience from anywhere, accessed through their computer browser. All delegates can engage directly with speakers and event partners, access exclusive MIW23 content and participate in the live event, regardless of where they are located.

After the 3-day festival of innovation has concluded, the MIW23 Digital Hub will remain open and accessible for attendees for a further 12 months. Delegates can re-watch conference sessions on demand and explore the additional content elements created for the event, including white papers and exclusive videos. Partner content will also remain within the hub for access in the future.

Developed by Abstract Events, the MIW23 Digital Hub was created by integrating two platforms – a powerful event manager and 3D virtual environment - which together give delegates a uniquely engaging experience and the chance to participate in a wide range of activities including panel discussions broadcast live through the event hub and network with other attendees and event partners.

Key elements within the MIW23 Digital Hub include:

Discoverable content displayed throughout the venue in various formats. Visitors can explore and interact with touch points in multiple rooms learning about the key topics from not only Innovation 2050 but also Gold partners including BT Group, Frazer Nash and the Port of Tyne.

Spatial networking using advanced technology to replicate face to face conversations in a natural way. Each attendee can create their own unique avatar which can be moved closer to other delegate avatars they want to connect with, helping them to hear and be heard. This approach provides greater scope for networking opportunities and transforms a digital gathering into an immersive and natural experience.

Speed networking in between live sessions to mix and match the remote delegates in an optional ‘speed networking’ interaction, this is a great way for them to meet significant volumes of professional contacts in a time efficient way. Attendees who don’t wish to participate can be tagged.

A digital scavenger hunt within the MIW23 Digital Hub guides delegates to ‘explore’ the event space fully, enhancing their learning experience using an interactive game model based around creative problem-solving.

Ian Blake, Head of Technology and Innovation at the Port of Tyne said, “We wanted to give everyone in the industry the chance to attend Maritime Innovation Week and this is the perfect approach. Instead of hosting a conference for a few hundred people, we can have unlimited capacity for anyone in the maritime industry, coming from anywhere in the world. Through the 2050 Innovation Hub, we have hosted hundreds of digital events, but none like this using a purpose-built Digital Hub. Delegates will feel part of the live conference and get exactly the same learning and networking experience as live delegates, the only difference being lunch won’t be provided by us!”

Dr Jo North, the event host and Director of Technology and Transformation at the Port of Tyne said, “During the pandemic, all events were all virtually hosted and we learned a lot about what works best for delegates. The hybrid event option delivered through the Digital Hub platform offers huge benefits of being able to reach a wider audience and selection of speakers and still offer excellent networking opportunities.”