Posted on: 22 November 2016
Maritime London member Jeffrey Blum of Maritime Education & Training Ltd (METL) recently visited and gave a lecture at the Maritime & Finance Excellence Center (MFEC) in Shanghai, run by Ben Zhang Maritime London’s China representative.
Mr Blum, a Baltic member, presented a History of the Baltic Exchange to an appreciative audience of over 70 people, including members of both the Baltic Exchange and of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers along with students from the Shanghai Maritime University.
During the lecture, the history and importance of the Baltic Exchange was explained, including the first mention of the word ‘Baltic’ in connection with the organisation in 1744, its growth before and after the two World Wars, its near-destruction by the IRA in April 1992, its recovery since then, how its functions have changed since the creation of the freight futures and derivatives markets in 1985 and more recently how the ownership of the Baltic has also changed.
Numerous photographs collected by Mr Blum were used to illustrate the lecture, which took place in the ‘Baltic Coffee Room’ at the MFEC. The coffee room was itself recently opened by Maritime London chairman Lord Mountevans, along with Maritime London chief executive Doug Barrow and other senior shipping figures on 11 September.
