The Baltexpo2025 International Maritime and Military Fair, which this year will be held at Gdansk's AmberExpo on October 7-9, is on its way to becoming the most important maritime trade fair in the Baltic region. This year's edition is expected to be another step forward for the fair itself, but thanks to this also for the entire maritime sector.

When the BALTEXPO International Maritime and Military Fair returned with its 22nd edition in 2023, everyone was asking themselves how this well-known brand on the Polish market would cope in the new reality. We knew the answer right after the event ended: “A successful return of an important brand” - wrote the GospodarkaMorska.pl portal. Two years later, it is time for BALTEXPO to take another step towards becoming the most important maritime trade fair in the Baltic Sea basin.

In 2021, during the Maritime Economy Forum, it was officially announced that BALTEXPO was “returning to Gdansk.” The fair's brand and the right to organize the event had been bought by Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie (MTG). Their previous owner, the Warsaw Exhibition Board, although it kept the event alive, also lost the trust and interest of the maritime industry, and the event, which had been a driving force for the sector for years, clearly lost its importance.

The new owner, MTG, has decided to dust off the BALTEXPO brand and restore it to its former importance. The first edition under the auspices of the new owner, held two years ago, received very good reviews from the industry. “New” BALTEXPO attracted more than 200 exhibitors from 15 countries, and during the three days of the event, more than 5,000 visitors entered the AmberExpo hall. The formula was also refreshed, with more accompanying events.

MTG realizes, however, that the success of the first edition should be just a prelude. The organizers must not settle on their laurels, lest they make the mistakes that fell to the previous owner of the rights to the BALTEXPO brand. The exhibition must therefore develop from edition to edition, not only to keep up with industry developments but also to provide an attractive platform for potential new exhibitors and participants. Andrzej Bojanowski, president of MTG, promises that the event will be even bigger in 2025.

“Our ambition is to build this project as the most important in the Baltic Sea Basin within three editions. This is something that we are working on, that you are working on, but that our customers are also working on, because it is important, both in the military and civilian areas. There is a big perspective, a lot is going on in the world, there is a lot going on in Poland, and there are a lot of budgets, especially in the military area. There are also ideas for maritime construction in the broadest sense, not just shipbuilding and shipbuilding-related activities, at least in the energy sector. So it seems that we have something to talk about, we have something to show and we have something to sell,” says Andrzej Bojanowski in an interview with GospodarkaMorska.pl.

Confirmation of the ambition of this year's BALTEXPO is the event's honorary patrons, who have placed their trust in the project. Although the event is still a few months away, the organizers have already announced that the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of National Defense, the Maritime Office in Gdynia, the Maritime Office in Szczecin, SAR - Maritime Search and Rescue Service, and SEA Europe (Shipyards' & Maritime Equipment Association of Europe) have granted their patronage to the event.

The BALTEXPO 2025 fair once again wants to manage maritime and military topics in a comprehensive way. That's why the organizers have already announced that the program will again include a Career Day and a Startup Zone, both of which are designed to encourage and assist young people in choosing a career path related to the maritime sector. Both of these elements of the fair's agenda have already proved successful during the previous edition. Industry debates are also planned, with a particular focus on the topic of development and modernization programs for the Navy, based on ships built in Polish shipyards, which is important not only for the maritime industry but also for the entire economy and defense of the country. During the fair, the halls of AmberExpo will also host the Baltic Ports Organization conference, which is highly regarded by representatives of Baltic Sea ports. The agenda also includes the Salmon Evening - a networking and integration event - as well as the presentation of Golden Anchors, and industry awards given to companies and institutions whose projects and products have or could have an impact on economic development. 

BALTEXPO will traditionally take place in the fall - October 7-9. However, intensive behind-the-scenes work has already been going on since the conclusion of the 2023 edition. The organizers are still encouraging companies and institutions to take part in the event as exhibitors. The baltexpo.eu website has links to the registration system for both companies that have previously participated in the fair and brand-new exhibitors.