Baird Publications is one of the world's premier maritime publishing houses and organisers of international conferences and exhibitions, with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia and a publishing subsidiary in Hong Kong.

The group produces three monthly magazines, Ausmarine, Work Boat World, and Ships and Shipping, a number of annual publications, and a series of highly detailed market surveys and books, all focusing on various aspects of the commercial, government and military marine industries. It also presents this maritime portal.

The Magazines

Almost since its inception in 1978, Professional Fisherman was the premier publication for the Australian commercial fishing industry. Recently renamed Ausmarine, and with an expanded focus to include all aspects of the Australian and New Zealand commercial, government and military marine sector, this monthly magazine continues to be the leader in its field.

First published in 1982, the second Baird magazine to launch was Work Boat World. Aimed primarily at owners and operators, it covers all types of commercial, military and government vessels to around 130 metres in length. It has long been the world leader in its market.

In the intervening years, the magazines Fishing Boat World,  Asia Pacific Shipping and World Shipbuilding joined the Baird fleet of magazines. By 2006, with five magazines running per month, the decision was made to consolidate the magazines into what was decided was a more practical approach to cover the global commercial and government marine market. It was decided that, because much of the technology relating to fishing vessels and workboats overlapped, Fishing Boat World was incorporated into Work Boat World, which now covers every type of workboat in operation around the world. The 2007 launch of Baird Online however, has allocated a separate news stream to the fishing and aquaculture industries.

Similarly, Asia Pacific Shipping and World Shipbuilding were combined into Ships and Shipping, which covers the building, owning and operating of vessels at the larger end of the scale, particularly cargo vessels, and related markets including port development and operations, as well as relevant equipment, materials and services.

Databases and Directories

Updated daily, Ships and Boats On Order (SABOO) provides accurate and comprehensive details of commercial and government vessels of all sizes and types, as well as larger yachts, which are under construction or on order at over 4,200 shipyards worldwide.

Formerly distributed monthly in either printed form or on CD-ROM, the launch of Baird Online saw SABOO released on the Internet free of charge.
Complementing SABOO is the long-established Marine Engines and Propulsion Systems (MEPS). This database directory provides the most important details of engines, transmissions, propulsion devices, gensets and related equipment. It is all encompassing and accurate and presented in a logical and easy-to-use format. The data is also updated daily, and with the launch of Baird Online, is now also available free-of-charge on the Internet. Its directory of manufacturers and suppliers enables the reader to easily obtain further details on products of interest.

Like MEPS, World Shipyards can justifiably claim to be the most comprehensive and useful international directory in its field. Designed as an enhancement of the builder directory contained within SABOO, World Shipyards is more than merely a listing of shipyards’ addresses. It provides detailed information on builders of vessels of all types and sizes, including details of their facilities, shipbuilding record and areas of expertise. It is very extensively cross-referenced.

Other databases available free online include Naval Architects, Ship Finance, Ship Brokers and Passenger Vessel Accidents, with more planned in the future. All the online databases are incorporated into and supported by a general database of the details of companies involved in the marine industry, including builders and designers, equipment manufacturers, vessel owners and operators, service providers and any other company related to the industry.

Baird Publications has one of the world’s most highly developed and longest running maritime information networks and has provided a major service to the international maritime industry with the establishment of Baird’s MARINFO database and surveys division in 1983.

Baird Events

Baird Publications' conference and exhibition portfolio includes a number of events, which, while principally aimed at the commercial and government maritime markets, including passenger craft, also encompass the fishing and aquaculture industries.

Held for the first time in Singapore in February 1999, Work Boat World Asia was the ASEAN region’s first conference and exhibition focused on commercial and military boats, passenger ferries, tugs, offshore service vessels, harbour craft, oil spill recovery vessels, pilot and patrol boats.

The success of the first show led to the follow-up event, which was held in Singapore during February 2001. The industry’s enthusiastic response to Work Boat World Asia 2001 ­ with both exhibitor and visitor numbers up very substantially ­ justified the company’s belief in the potential for the event, which was held again in February 2003.

To better reflect its widened scope it was renamed Asian Shipping and Work Boat for 2005 and subsequent events.

A recent Baird Publications event, China Maritime, was held for the first time in Hong Kong in March 2006, and will be held every even numbered year thereafter. The sold-out China Maritime 2006 was the first major international maritime exhibition to be held in Hong Kong for more than 15 years.

Other events include Mediterranean Maritime in Marseilles, France, Work Boat China in Dalian, China, Ausmarine in Australia and Work Boat Gulf in Bahrain. Other events will be announced soon.

Baird Maritime

2007’s Asian Shipping and Work Boat event played host to the official launching of Baird’s new online portal, Baird Maritime. New features and continuous refinement continue to take place. Already, it incorporates a global maritime news service and some very comprehensive directories.

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