Held 9-11 November 2027, the world’s premier global conference for ports and port businesses will be hosted in South America for the first time in its 75-year history
The International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH) is delighted to announce that the 2027 edition of the World Ports Conference (#IAPH2027) – the world’s leading international conference for ports and the maritime supply chain – will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 9-11 November.
With the support of host sponsor and IAPH member Porto Do Açu, the conference will be held in South America for the first time in its venerable 75-year history. #IAPH2027 will convene senior port professionals from across the world in Rio – a vibrant global city framed by a lush natural landscape – for three days of high-level dialogue across the maritime supply chain, from shipowners and cargo owners, to regulators and providers of state-of-the-art technology.
IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven commented: “We are delighted to bring the World Ports Conference to Rio de Janeiro and to South America for the first time. This reflects the increasing importance of both the region’s thriving port sector and the sustained leadership role played by our host sponsor, Porto Do Açu, in advancing the causes of decarbonisation and digitalisation.”
Host sponsor Porto do Açu is the largest deep-water and private industrial port complex in Latin America. In operation since 2014, it has 30 companies installed and 11 private terminals. The port’s future projects aim to increase agribusiness, mining and oil and gas activities, while advancing renewable energy projects and accelerating low-carbon industrialisation.
IAPH VP for Central and South America and director of port administration at Porto do Açu, Vinicius Patel commented: “We are immensely proud to welcome the global port community to Rio de Janeiro for the first World Ports Conference ever held in South America. This is a significant milestone for IAPH and a recognition of the growing relevance of Central and South American ports within the global maritime and logistics landscape. As both host sponsor and an active member of IAPH, Porto do Açu is honoured to help create a platform where leaders from across the world can exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships and advance practical solutions for the major challenges facing our industry, from the energy transition and decarbonisation to digitalisation, resilience and sustainable growth. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues to Brazil and showcasing the dynamism, innovation and opportunities that our region has to offer.”
The South American debut of the World Ports Conference represents another landmark in IAPH’s deepening engagement with the South and Central American port sector, which includes the appointment of Guimara Tuñón Guerra as development director for the region, the renewal via an MoU of historic close ties with Inter-American Committee on Ports of the Organization of the American States (OAS-CIP), the holding of a joint forum for Latin American ports in Montevideo, Uruguay, and the translation of many of IAPH’s industry-leading publications and tools into Spanish.
IAPH development director for Central and South America Guimara Tuñón Guerra commented: “Hosting the World Ports Conference in South America for the first time is an important milestone for IAPH and for the region. #IAPH2027 in Rio will give Latin American ports a valuable opportunity to contribute more directly to the global port agenda, share the solutions being developed across the region and build stronger partnerships around our common challenges and priorities.”
Further announcements about #IAPH2027 will be made at the Association’s upcoming conference in London, 3-6 November 2026.