GMAA General Assembly and Annual Dinner 2025

Traditionally, the GMAA's Annual General Meeting and Annual Dinner took place in Hamburg on the Day of Repentance and Prayer, 19 November 2025. This year, the event was held the first time below deck of the Museum Ship “RICKMER RICKMERS“, a tall ship built in 1896 wich is permanently moored as a floating landmark of Hamburg since 1983 and gives the get-together a historical maritime atmosphere. The after-dinner speech was given by the Habrour Master and Head of Harbour Master’s Division of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), Capt. Simon Rosenkranz, who has provided personal insights into the challenges his department faces in balancing safety, ease, cost-effectiveness and public interest on a daily basis.

The evening was used for the (re-)election of the members of the board, to review the previous year and to discuss how the GMAA can further increase its attractiveness in international maritime arbitration and reach a wider range of interested parties in the future.

Following the General Meeting we were particularly pleased to see the 2nd Edition of the GMAA Legal Awards being presented by the committee set up specifically for this purpose to the proud winners Mr. Florian Heppner (1st place) and Mrs. Lara Nadine Hieronimus (2nd place).

All this gives us confidence and hope for the implementation of the ambitious plans of the GMAA for the year 2026 and we look forward to the Day of Repentance and Prayer 2026 when we are certainly able to take a positive look back on what could be achieved in the interim.