The International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) has announced that its annual Word Ports Conference will return to London for its 2026 edition. The event will take place at Olympia’s International Convention Centre (ICC), a new convention centre and part of Olympia’s £1.3bn redevelopment.
Taking place 3-6 November 2026, the four-day conference will bring together global port leaders alongside stakeholders from shipping, policy, finance and technology. Delivered under the theme ‘Port Leadership for a Brave New World’, the programme will span plenary sessions, breakout streams, roundtables, briefings and site visits.
The 2026 conference marks a step change in scale, professionalism and strategic ambition for IAPH. Set to welcome 700 delegates, a 12.9% increase year on year, the conference is expanding from its traditional three-day format to deliver a more dynamic and interactive programme.
The new ICC at Olympia, operated by Olympia Events and managed by Legends Global, will provide a state-of-the-art setting to support this conference evolution.
Patrick Verhoeven, managing director at IAPH, said: “London is the intelligence hub of global shipping and home to many leading international shipping organisations, including the International Maritime Organisation. Bringing the IAPH World Ports Conference to Olympia in 2026 feels like a natural return to a city that has long been at the centre of the global maritime sector.”
“The new ICC enables us to deliver a more ambitious, multi-stream event and create an environment that supports meaningful collaboration and long-term industry progress,” Verhoeven added.
The IAPH World Ports Conference was first held in London in 1965, a milestone moment that helped establish the association as a truly global organisation.
A truly global gathering, the 2026 conference is expected to attract delegates from more than 60 countries, with over 75% travelling internationally.
Adam Pollington, sales director at Olympia Events, said: “We’re delighted to welcome this landmark event in the IAPH annual calendar to Olympia. The new ICC has been designed specifically to support complex, multi-stream international events at scale, and this is exactly the type of platform IAPH requires as it continues to grow.”
