Elegant wood panelling, soft carpet flooring, noise-dampening doors and windows – furnishings pleasing the finest tastes are on board every cruise ship. When it comes to implementing their concepts, designers depend on suppliers executing their plans precisely so everything will fit seamlessly. At the MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, powered by SMM, which takes place on the Hamburg Messe und Congress campus from 06 to 08 September 2023 in parallel with Seatrade Europe, designers can meet top-ranking suppliers. From light installations to wall panels and doors, and through to items such as custom-manufactured coffee tables, the exhibitors at MARINE INTERIORS cover a wide range of products.
Varied exhibitors
A subject matter of particular concern in ship interior design is material selection. Materials are subject to the SOLAS requirements (“Safety of Life at Sea”) issued by IMO, the International Maritime Organization, and must be certified accordingly. The main objective is fire prevention – minimising the use of readily flammable materials.
One of the companies that are highly experienced in this field is W. Hartmann. Headquartered at Oststeinbek near Hamburg, the company manufactures special wall panels for ships, among other products. The laminated aluminium honeycomb panels, a Continous Pressed Laminate (CPL) product, are used as a carrier material for real-wood veneer. This minimises the risk of glue bleeding through while bringing out the full beauty of the wood grain in the costly veneers.
Colour accents are what the American company Richloom specialises on: “Our new Wanderlust collection combines the fun of discovering patterns with curiosity for colours. All fabrics were custom-developed for use on cruise ships,” says Senior Vice President Lauren Pelusio. To Adamo Montina, CEO at Moroso Spa and a member of the MARINE INTERIORS committee, tasteful interior design involves more than carpeting, wall colours and lighting: “It is exclusive furniture that make suites and lounges exceptional. Our designers work to highlight the unique spirit of each cruise ship through the furniture they develop.”
Newcomers welcome!
For companies without experience in the maritime sector, dealing with SOLAS requirements can be rather confusing. MARINE INTERIORS wants to lend a hand to new companies entering the market. Working together with the German certification body DMT/TÜV Nord, the fair organisers have developed a special conference session called IMO Certification for Beginners. At the conference, Markus Hill, Head of Sales at DMT GmbH & Co.KG., will explain the regulations suppliers of products for maritime use must meet. The fire expert will guide companies that are new to the industry through all the necessary process steps. Hill says he will consider the event a success if he manages to take away some of the apprehension these companies feel about filing for certification: “Many get scared off. But in the best of cases they may get their certification within as little as six months,” Hill points out.
“Whether you are an established industry player or a newcomer: The MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo offers a wide range of attractive incentives to any company in the ship interiors segment. We are very much looking forward to the event in September," said Christoph Lücke, Project Head of the MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo at Hamburg Messe und Congress.
