2025 Event Agenda

* SOLD OUT *

The 2025 Maritime Workers Emergency Medical Fund Golf Tournament will be held on Monday September 29th in conjunction with Breakbulk Americas at the Jersey Meadows Golf Club in Houston, Texas.

* Additional purchase required *

This full-day workshop, presented in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, is an intermediate level course that provides a deeper understanding of chartering principles and applications. It is suitable for full-time chartering professionals as well as those who work with chartering contracts. This is a full-day workshop and includes two networking coffee breaks and lunch.  You will need to be available to attend for the whole day to be eligible to collect your certification at the end.

Location: Marriott Marquis Houston

* Additional purchase required *

This course is designed for professionals involved in the transport and logistics of project cargo. The course covers the fundamentals of heavy-lift logistics, emphasizing both sea-based and land-based transport, including vessels, equipment, and securing cargoes. Case studies will be used for illustration with a thorough discussion of best practices. This is a full-day workshop and includes two networking coffee breaks and lunch.

Location: Marriott Marquis Houston

* Additional purchase required *

The Women in Breakbulk program at Breakbulk Americas 2025 enters a new phase. After four years of building a strong industry network, it’s time to step up and confront the challenges shaping our industry today. Women deserve a seat at the decision-making table, and this luncheon will offer insights to help clarify a rapidly changing landscape. Our skill-building session will focus on collaboration—an essential tool in both strategic planning and daily operations.

Location: Marriott Marquis Houston
 

* Additional purchase required *

AI is increasingly shaping logistics, but how relevant is it to breakbulk and project cargo? This session demystifies AI by providing real-world applications in transport engineering, vessel operations, and supply chain tracking. Learn how companies are using AI for efficiency gains, risk mitigation, and automation without replacing the human element. This is a half-day workshop and includes one networking coffee break. You will need to be available to attend for the whole duration to be eligible to collect your certification at the end.

Location: Marriott Marquis Houston

* Invite only *

Resilience Amid Uncertainty
Volatile market conditions, shifting project timelines, and ongoing supply chain disruptions continue to challenge breakbulk and project cargo stakeholders across the Americas. This closed-door Executive Summit – held under the Chatham House Rule – is designed as a candid, collaborative forum for senior leaders to share pain points, exchange strategies, and gain insight into how peers are navigating today’s uncertainty to anticipate future success.

Location: Marriott Marquis Houston

It’s opening night and your time to connect with friends old and new. What a great opportunity to identify the exhibitors you want to know more about over the next two days.

Keep the party going with Port Houston’s traditional western social at the nearby Rustic. Enoy food, drinks, music and entertainment in this iconic Texas venue.

* Additional purchase required *

Join the 65th BUSINESSrun during Breakbulk Americas - a unique event combining running, networking, and charity under the motto "Running for a Cause, Connecting for Success." Open to all experience levels with 5k and 10k routes through Houston, starting and ending at the George R Brown Convention Center.

* Pre-registration required *

Start your conference experience feeling grounded, energized and fully in your body. This isn’t your typical wellness break, it's a chance to reconnect with yourself through gentle movement, guided breathwork and a moment to set clear, focused intentions for the day ahead.

This Rise and Reset session requires pre-booking and is free of charge, open to any women attending Breakbulk Americas 2025. Log in to your registration profile to add this session to your Breakbulk Americas ticket. Not registered for Breakbulk Americas yet? Get your ticket here before adding this event.

The SHIPS for America Act marks a major shift in U.S. maritime policy, with ambitious long-term goals to revitalize shipbuilding, grow the Strategic Commercial Fleet, and strengthen the workforce. In the near term, stronger enforcement of Cargo Preference laws and increased policy momentum are already reshaping how government cargo is allocated and how U.S.-flag carriers engage commercially. Added to this, Section 301 tariffs are shifting cargo flows and sourcing decisions, creating both challenges and opportunities. This keynote explores the driving forces behind the Act and what they mean for U.S. industry and global partners.
 

Following the keynote, a panel of experts from the maritime, shipbuilding, and project cargo sectors will discuss how these changes are being felt across the industry today. The conversation will explore the real-world impact of policy shifts, the outlook for U.S.-flag competitiveness, and how stakeholders can prepare for the next phase of U.S. maritime resurgence.
 

Carriers across the breakbulk and project cargo spectrum are facing intense operational pressure. From pending port fees, ageing vessels and capacity pressures, to complex emissions requirements, crew shortages and geopolitical trade tensions, fleet operators are forced to make faster, riskier, and more strategic decisions than ever. Senior voices from across the breakbulk fleet will confront the industry's most pressing challenges and explore how operators are adapting to survive and thrive.

As the global push for electrification, tech and infrastructure growth accelerates, the demand for critical minerals is reshaping mining activity across the Americas – from Chile, Argentina and Brazil to the U.S. and Canada. These projects are increasingly vital and logistically complex. This panel brings together EPCs, shippers, and freight forwarders to explore how critical mineral extraction and processing are driving demand for breakbulk and project cargo solutions across the region.
 

Hear directly from shippers as they share what types of projects are emerging, where the market is heading, and how digital tools, new players, and shifting priorities are reshaping the project cargo landscape.

Tariffs are tools of industrial strategy, aiming to reshape how and where companies build, source, and ship. But the short-term disruption leaves many struggling to keep up and make informed decisions. In this Q&A-driven session, trade and logistics experts answer your questions on how steel and other tariffs are disrupting project timelines, shifting global sourcing, and redefining competitiveness in U.S. infrastructure and industry.

Digital transformation in breakbulk logistics is no longer a future goal – it’s a current necessity. From oversized cargo permitting to port-side coordination, today’s most complex cargo movements demand better speed, visibility, and collaboration. This panel explores how real-world digital tools – powered by AI, IoT, and automation – are helping project logistics teams solve bottlenecks across the supply chain.

As Breakbulk Americas celebrates its 35th anniversary, we bring together industry pioneers who helped shape the event – and the breakbulk and project cargo sector itself. These legends will share stories from the earliest editions of Breakbulk Americas, chart how the industry has evolved, and offer timeless insights for today’s professionals. From the days of faxes and clipboards to AI, automation, and ESG mandates – this is a rare look at where we’ve been, and where we’re headed.

Global supply chains are under unprecedented pressure from shifting trade dynamics, evolving energy markets, and geopolitical uncertainty. This keynote takes a forward-looking view of industry-wide trends, exploring how companies are strengthening resilience, adapting investment priorities, and positioning for sustainable growth in a rapidly changing world.

From LNG terminals and refinery expansions to coal logistics and uncertainty over offshore wind, energy-related cargo is still moving across the Americas – but not always where expected. This session gives a grounded snapshot of the current energy landscape, including gas exports, oil projects, infrastructure gaps, and the real logistics picture behind politically charged sectors like coal, wind, and nuclear.

Breakbulk’s inaugural Project Power Awards are designed to showcase every sector in the industry and the companies and individuals that are demonstrating the path forward.  Find out the deserving winners in each category: Barge Transport, Best Logistics Strategy for an Energy Project, Best Use of Equipment, Ocean Transport, Road & Rail, Energy Project of the Year and Energy Champion of the Year. 

Winners of this year’s Breakbulk Project Power Awards are invited to join us at the Main Stage for a special Winners’ Reception. Celebrate your achievements with fellow energy champions in the industry, connect with Breakbulk leaders, and enjoy drinks in a relaxed, congratulatory atmosphere. Let’s raise a glass to the innovations driving the future of energy projects in global logistics!