Autumn in New York

David Martowski, chairman of Thomas Miller (Americas) Inc and president of the Society of Maritime Arbitrators Inc, and Klaus Mordhorst, chairman of the SMA ICMA arrangements committee, preview the fourteenth International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA XIV)

WHEN Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra so exquisitely crooned 'Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?' and 'I'll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy', they had it right. New York can be a beautiful and exciting place at any time of the year, but it is in autumn, also known as the Indian Summer, when it all comes together.

It was with this in mind that New York's Society of Maritime Arbitrators Inc (SMA) chose the week of October 22-26, 2001, to host and present the Fourteenth International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA) at the world-famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. And judging by the strong show of interest from around the world to participate in this prestigious event, it would seem that Ella, Frank and the SMA weren't the only ones who got it right.

This truly promises to be an event of significant importance to the shipping community, an international gathering of prominent arbitrators, judges, maritime attorneys, barristers, senior shipping executives, chartering managers, shipbrokers, surveyors, leading P&I clubs and representatives from the recognised international shipping conferences. Already more than seventy papers have been proposed on a great variety of subjects which have intrigued, and continue to intrigue, the world of shipping and maritime commerce.

Admiral Rick Larrabee, recently retired from the United States Coast Guard and the current director of the Port Commerce Department of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, will welcome attendees on the opening morning. He will be followed by the Honorable Justice William Waung, Admiralty Judge of the High Court in Hong Kong, who will deliver the Cedric Barclay Memorial lecture - one of the highlights of the congress.

ICMA was conceived on a subway ride in Moscow in 1972 by four enterprising arbitrators, the SMA's Michael van Gelder among them. It was Cedric Barclay, with all his wit and expertise, who tenaciously developed the idea into what today has become the Olympics of international maritime arbitration. ICMAs have graced major maritime centres and capitals all over the world, including Casablanca, Auckland, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Madrid and Vancouver to name a few, growing in importance and attendance with each successive event.

This year's congress will focus on the continuing importance of arbitration to the shipping industry and will address the challenges from competing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques, primarily mediation, conciliation and 'rent-a-judge'. Lectures and papers will be presented in morning and afternoon plenary sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with time set aside for interactive panel and floor discussions.

Continuing legal education (CLE) credits will be awarded to US attorney, adding a bonus for young and more experienced practitioners alike. The morning session on Friday will conclude business. Noted keynote speakers from the shipping industry and the bar (legal that is) will address the delegates during the various luncheons and, of course, a wide choice of social events has been planned and continues to be organised. The social programme so far boasts Breakfast at the Guggenheim (Tiffany no longer does that sort of thing), a peek-behind-the-curtains tour of the Metropolitan Opera, a down-to-earth coach and walking tour through the famous and infamous Greenwich Village and SoHo (which stands for South of Houston Street, by the way), and Twilight and Daylight tours through a record safer and cleaner Manhattan.

The organisers are sparing no effort in facilitating their guests with theatre, opera, concert or Broadway tickets (sorry, no more tickets for the 'producers' before January 2002) or any other of the myriad of events that always happen to go on in New York. There are two main social events. One is the black-tie Dinner Dance on Thursday night at Cipriani's stunningly elegant ballroom with the renowned Peter Duchin orchestra setting the night on fire.

The other is an ICMA tradition of setting Wednesday aside as the congress's dedicated Social Day. In a relaxed setting, people can meet old friends and/or strike up new friendships, swap stories and make the acquaintance of their opponents' significant others, discuss pending and/or interesting cases and experiences, or simply hobnob with those they have heard so much about but have never met. What better venue for this than cruising on a chartered private yacht which can comfortably accommodate up to 300 guests.

After boarding at North-Cove harbour at the World Trade Centre in lower Manhattan, the Royal Princess will set course for the Statue of Liberty and take in the awesome Manhattan skyline as she proceeds upriver past the George Washington Bridge and the imposing Palisades Cliffs into Tappan Zee at the height of the Indian Summer's glorious fall foliage. Coaches will ferry those attending to the historic restaurant/inn, Beau Rivage, for cocktails and lunch with spectacular views overlooking the river and the colourful rolling hills of the beautiful Hudson Valley.

There will then be time for leisurely strolls through the parks of various historic estates before returning to the Waldorf Astoria, via Bear Mountain Bridge, through Bear Mountain Park in its fall splendour and across the Washington Bridge.

It has been twenty years since the SMA last hosted ICMA. New York has changed since then, and so has the world of maritime arbitration. It is time for all of us to update, and we are ready to welcome you and to do just that. 'Autumn in New York'. That's 'one helluva of a town'. Come and be part of it.

For more information and continuous updates, visit the IMA website at www.icmaxiv.org