During London International Shipping Week (LISW) 2025, Tide was asked to support the delivery of the Global Meet the Buyer programme.

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Global Meet the Buyer is an initiative delivered by the Society of Maritime Industries in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade and supported by Seatrade Maritime. The objective was to maximise engagement between international buyers and UK maritime suppliers. To meet these aims, Tide Creative provided integrated support across event design, project management and digital marketing.

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The additional challenge was to ensure the promotion of this activity fit within a packed strategic week and actively supported SMI’s broader business and promotional objectives. To this end, we worked alongside SMI’s leadership team to shape Global Meet the Buyer’s visual identity and delivery, whilst also developing a digital content schedule for both Global Meet the Buyer and SMI’s LISW activity overall. The aim was to bring visibility and direction to a week with many moving parts.

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It’s a way of working that reflects how we regularly partner with maritime organisations at leadership level.

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At Tide, we started by getting clear on three things:

1. Who would be in the room
2. What success looked like (for both SMI and its partners)
3. How the Global Meet the Buyer programme would sit alongside other senior engagements that week

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From there, we developed a full event design package for Global Meet the Buyer, delivered in line with the UK GREAT brand and approved by SMI and the Department for Business and Trade. This covered everything participants would see and interact with, including:

• Event brochures and presentations
• Branded backgrounds and environments
• Floorplans and table layouts
• Signage and support digital materials

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Alongside creative delivery, we provided structured project management throughout the planning phase. With multiple partners involved and a dense LISW schedule to navigate, this support helped keep momentum without adding pressure to the SMI team.

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On event day, our focus moved to delivery and flow. We supported SMI and the Department for Business and Trade with registration, managed the pacing of structured meetings, and helped facilitate interactions between buyers and suppliers. This ensured conversations stayed productive and the programme ran to time.

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We also maintained the programme’s visibility throughout the week by implementing targeted digital activities that reinforced SMI’s presence at LISW and encouraged collaborative relationships beyond the event.

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The Global Meet the Buyer event provided a focused and well-managed platform for international engagement during one of the busiest weeks in the maritime calendar.

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The programme benefited from:

• A clear and cohesive event environment
• Confident and coordinated delivery
• Digital activity that extended visibility beyond the room

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This project demonstrates the value of having experienced support in place- particularly during high-pressure periods- where structure and attention to detail make a real difference.

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