The Taranto Port Days 2023 event has been presented
PORTO DI TARANTO, 27 SEPTEMBER 2023 - Taranto Port Days (TPD), the event promoted by the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea - Port of Taranto (AdSPMI) is back from 6 to 8 October. In organising this fifth edition, the Port Network Authority is supported by the Jonian Dolphin Conservation (JDC); the initiative is sponsored by the Municipality of Taranto and is part of the Italian Port Days promoted at national level by Assoporti.
The event was presented at a press conference in Kétos, the headquarters of the JDC, in the presence President of the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea, Sergio Prete, the Harbour Master of the Taranto Coast Guard C.V. (C.P.) Rosario Meo, Municipal Councillor for Educational Services, Youth Policies and Entertainment, Mr. Fabiano Marti and the JDC's President, Mr. Carmelo Fanizza.
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“This is the fifth edition”, said the President of the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea, Lawyer Sergio Prete opening the press conference - of, according to the PNAIS, an eagerly awaited and strongly attended event for the entire Ionian port community”.
"The Taranto Port Days, known and appreciated also at an international level”, said President Sergio Prete, ''embrace numerous initiatives capable of reflecting the many facets and vocations of a state-of-the-art port: sport, culture, environment, innovation, social integration go hand in hand with traditional economic and commercial objectives in a sustainable way. It's nice to come together to experience the port among students, citizens, operators and institutions united by the desire to raise the spirit and dimension of Taranto port-city to that of other port cities in Europe and globally. A heartfelt thank you to all those who, in various ways, are helping to build an increasingly dynamic event, reach in novelties, year after year”.
Later, Carmelo Fanizza took the floor “our citizen science work in favour of cetaceans in the Gulf of Taranto”, the JDC's president said on the occasion, “is, by its very nature, known by a great many people, while that of the many professionals and workers who every day carry out, in the port, activities of vital importance not only for the local community, but for the entire “country system” is almost unknown. The TPDs are important because they will allow everyone to get to know better and appreciate the people who live the “microcosm Port of Taranto” every day, working for the benefit of the community”.
The Harbour Master of the Taranto Coast Guard C.V. (C.P.) Rosario Meo stated: “Our institutional mission certainly contributes to deepening the bond between territorial communities and their maritime components. Taranto is one of those cities in which the identity heritage goes hand in hand with its natural element, the sea. These events contribute even more to strengthening this bond and giving the community a sense of belonging to the relationship with the sea”.
Concluding the press conference, Councillor Fabiano Marti stressed that "the TPD event is a model and an example for all institutions: for three days the Port of Taranto opens up to citizens by making itself known to all, an occasion in which, moreover, the cooperation relationship between the Municipal Administration and the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea, which have signed a memorandum of understanding, is strengthened; in this context, during the three-day event, staff from the “Acclavio” Municipal Library will participate in the TPDs by setting up a stand for citizens and carrying out aloud readings for children on board the JDC catamarans".
The opening ceremony of the Taranto Port Days 2023 event will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, 6 October, in the presence of the President of the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea, Sergio Prete, Mr. Rinaldo Melucci, Mayor of Taranto, the Harbour Master of the Taranto Coast Guard C.V. (C.P.) Rosario Meo and the JDC’s President Mr. Carmelo Fanizza.
The Taranto Port Days will be three days full of events, exhibitions, concerts and initiatives under the banner of culture, sport and entertainment, capable of bringing the local community even closer to the port of Taranto, thus supporting, with a single voice, the renewal of the “port-city” duo in the Ionian capital, also through the commitment to “adopt” urban spaces in the city that can represent the permanent square of dialogue and social sustainability of the Taranto Port Days.
Three days (programme available at www.port.taranto.it) during which the port will open its door to the city to let citizen explore it: during the Taranto Port Days, access to the port area will be free of charge, as well as participation in the numerous initiatives and events for schools and citizens, including visits to the port by land by bus and by sea with the JDC catamarans which, for the first time, will also host sea-themed readings for children, thanks to the collaboration started during the TPDs between the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea and the Acclavio Library of Taranto. Only Diodato's concert will be by invitation with restricted entry for security reasons.
Once again this year there will be a large area with stands where institutions and private operators will illustrate to visitors the activities and initiatives taking place in the port, over the sea, also displaying nautical means and devices; for all visitors there will be a “sport village” set up by Decathlon, as well as a food and recreational area, to spend a pleasant experience getting to know and experiencing the port.
The main topic of this 2023 edition of the Taranto Port Days is dedicated to the professions and “skills” of ports and the sea, which, also in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is a tribute to all those who live and work in the port area every day.
The two exhibitions conceived for TPDs 2023 by Larry Agency, a branding agency, are dedicated to them: the photographic exhibition curated by Toast Studio “Port Tales: stories, trades and people of the sea”, whose images are on display - until Tuesday 10 October - suspended high above the central Via D'Aquino, and the immersive exhibition “Visioni Liquide” set up in a covered area of the Taranto Port Days. For the visitors it will be an imaginative journey to discover the trades of the port: a full immersion with Cindy Pedone's artistic illustrations and Stefania Ressa's fairy-tale texts, while listening through headphones to the “sounds” of the port recorded by Alberto Dati.
The covered area will also host the TPDs 2023 conferences dedicated to the event's main topic, in whose panels, for a precise choice of the organisation, moderators and speakers will be equally divided between the two genders, to represent plastically that the port is a world in which both women and men operate with competence and professionalism. This is in line with the initiative “No Women No Panel - Senza donne non se ne parla” (No Women No Panel - That’s not going to happen without women) jointly promoted by all the Presidents of the national Port Network Authorities and Assoporti as a collaborative strategy to promote balanced and plural participation in communication events.
For the entire community, the TPDs 2023 conferences will be important moments of insight and reflection, and for young people an opportunity to learn about professions and trades that can represent a concrete employment opportunity.
Dedicated to the main topic of TPDs 2023 will be the conferences “Blue Skills: Pathways and soft skills”, “Shipbuilding and yachting: opportunities for the Port of Taranto and its production fabric” by Confindustria Taranto, “Becoming port professionals. Operators of the Porto di Taranto tell their stories” by Optima Confcommercio, “Strategic management of human resources: for value creation” by the Taranto Propeller Club, and, entirely dedicated to the world of women, “BET WE CAN! Circle of women who love the sea”.
An extremely important and urgent topic will be addressed in the TPDs 2023 conference “Mediterranean Dialogue: Cooperation Comes from the Sea”, which, with influential speakers, will be divided into technical focuses and a final round table.
The TPDs 2023 covered are will also host the closing moment of the BioTours transnational project whose activities, with the Taranto-based JDC as lead partner, involved partners from Italy, Montenegro and Albania.
The Kinetic stage - a pontoon provided by Ecotaras - will host the “Falanto Awards” ceremony of the Taranto Port Days 2023, an award established by the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea - Port of Taranto to give visibility to personalities and companies that have stood out for their activities in favour of the territory and the Taranto community. The evening will be hosted by Mauro Pulpito and entertained by the notes of Taranto violinist Francesco Greco, and the performance of well-known comedian Vincenzo De Lucia.
Also on the Kinetic Stage of the Taranto Port Days the award ceremony of "Taranto: My Port City” will take place, the art contest dedicated to schools of all levels in the city of Taranto, an event that will see the participation of educational institutes and students from the provincial capital.
The Taranto Port Days will host the extraordinary concert “Pink Floyd's Legend”, which will see the DNA Pink Floyd Tribute Band and the Orchestra ICO Magna Grecia conducted by Roberto Molinelli perform on the Kinetic Stage, interpreting a programme with the most popular songs of a group that made rock history.
The Taranto Port Days dawn concert is back. This year it hosts, hosted by Sabrina Morea, the eagerly awaited performance of the famous singer-songwriter Diodato, who returns to perform in his native Taranto, a great Taranto Port Days 2023 exclusive show; the free event is sold out and, for security reasons, access to the area will be allowed only and exclusively to holders of tickets available online at EventBrite.
On the Stage, moored at the dock with the striking backdrop of the Old Town, the final of the music contest "Rock Port 2023" will take place, organised by Afo6 and hosted by Sabrina Morea, during which the three bands and artists selected during the semi-finals held at Spazioporto will perform.
The Taranto Port Days 2023 event is supported by SIR - Servizi Industriali, SJS Engineering and YILPORT - San Cataldo Container Terminal; the organisation would like to thank Rimorchiatori Napoletani srl, Fondazione Taranto25, Studio Gaudio Recording and Strumentimusicali.net; Decathlon and Ecotaras are technical partners of the event.