Conference Programme

April 21, 2026 | October 1 - 2, 2026 | Maria's By the Sea Hotel, Tortola, BVI

Pre-Conference

April 21, 2026

Evening
Reception

Cocktail Welcome Reception

CBR Tortola Pier Park — Luxury Deck

Day 1

Strengthening Local Capacity: Building a World-Class Maritime & Tourism Ecosystem in the BVI

Morning Session — Local Stakeholders Focus

8:00 AM
Registration

Registration & Welcome Reception

9:00 AM
Ceremony

Opening Prayer & National Anthem

9:15 AM
Welcome Remarks

Welcome Remarks

Minister of Communication & Works, Board Chairman, Managing Director, Director of Tourism

9:31 AM
Presentation

Maritime Stewardship & IMO Triple-I Compliance

Speaker: John Samuel

9:55 AM
Break

Coffee Break

10:16 AM
Presentation

Cybersecurity & Digital Transformation in Port Operations

Speaker: Daryl Wade

10:36 AM
Panel Discussion

Cyber Resilience in the BVI — Protecting Local Ports & Businesses

11:20 AM
Q&A

Open Floor Q&A

12:00 PM
Break

Lunch Break

Afternoon Session

1:15 PM
Presentation

Raising the Bar on Caribbean Tourism

Speaker: Dona Regis-Prosper

Panel Discussions

2:00 PM
Panel 1

Compliance, Safety & Operational Excellence

3:30 PM
Panel 3

Tourism Futures — Leveraging BVI Strengths for Competitiveness

4:15 PM
Closing

Closing Remarks

Day 2

Positioning the Caribbean for Global Trade: Security, Competitiveness & Future-Ready Port Operations

Morning Session

9:00 AM
Welcome

Morning Welcome & Overview

9:15 AM
Presentation

Asia-Caribbean Trade Opportunities

Speaker: Gu Quanlin

10:00 AM
Break

Coffee Break

10:15 AM
Presentation

Port Security Governance & Regional Harmonization

Speaker: Darwin Telemaque

11:00 AM
Presentation

The Future of Caribbean Shipping

Speaker: William Brown

Midday Session

12:00 PM
Break

Lunch Break & Sponsor Showcase

Panel Discussions

1:30 PM
Panel 1

Caribbean-Asia Trade Expansion — What It Means for Small Ports

2:15 PM
Panel 2

Regional Port Security & Compliance — Strengthening Governance

3:00 PM
Panel 3

Shipping Competitiveness — Reducing Costs & Improving Connectivity

3:45 PM
Closing

Day 2 Wrap-Up Discussion

Day 3

Reimagining the Caribbean Port Experience: Sustainability, Cruise Innovation & Regional Mobility

Morning Session

9:00 AM
Welcome

Welcome & Day Preview

9:10 AM
Presentation

Green Ports Implementation

Speaker: Ethan James

9:55 AM
Presentation

Designing Ports for Large-Scale Cruise Operations

Speaker: Juan Kuryla

10:40 AM
Break

Coffee Break

11:00 AM
Presentation

What Cruise Lines Expect from Next-Gen Caribbean Ports

Speaker: Nicholas Pagonis

Midday Session

12:00 PM
Break

Lunch Break

Panel Discussions

1:15 PM
Panel 1

Green Ports of the Future — Sustainability for Island Economies

2:00 PM
Panel 2

Designing Cruise Terminals That Work — Balancing Passenger Flow & Community Impact

2:45 PM
Panel 3

Advancing Caribbean Mobility — The Future of Regional Sea Connectivity

Keynote Address

3:30 PM
Keynote

Advancing Regional Transportation & Sea Connectivity

Speaker: Hon. Mia Mottley

Closing Ceremony

4:00 PM
Closing

Vote of Thanks & Conference Close