London was formally announced as the venue for next year’s IAPH World Ports Conference, as #IAPH2025 concluded in Kobe. Siân Foster, director of corporate affairs at the Port of London Authority and Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the British Ports Association, joined IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven on stage at the Hotel Okura to explain what delegates could expect at next year’s event, to be held 3-5 November. The UK’s biggest port, Port of London Authority (PLA), is a Diamond-level headline sponsor of next year’s conference, and Siân presented a video that highlighted the importance of the city to trade in the UK and globally, and noted PLA’s role as the custodian of the tidal Thames. The trio then took a group ‘selfie’ with the entire plenary hall, in which conference delegates showed their support for the 2026 event by each brandishing stress-busters in the shape of the famous red London bus. The venue for #IAPH2026 will be the iconic Olympia in Kensington, which will be ready to host the event in style, having undergone an extensive renovation. After memorable editions in 1965 and 1997, the 2026 edition of the World Ports Conference will aim to set a new benchmark, showcasing how ports worldwide are transforming to meet the challenges of sustainability, digitalisation, and resilience.
