What is the IACS End User Workshop and how can I attend?

The IACS End User Workshop (EUW) is an open industry event run by the International Association of Classification Societies. The 18th edition will be held at Brewers' Hall, London, over 1.5 days: Wednesday 18 November and the morning of Thursday 19 November. According to IACS, the invitation is extended to anyone who would like to attend, and details plus registration are reached through the "Read More" link on the workshop item on iacs.org.uk. If you work with classification, ship design, fuels, or regulation and want direct exposure to IACS technical work, this is the event to plan around.

What the workshop is

IACS describes itself as focused on "safer and cleaner shipping" and on developing new instruments for emerging technologies and fuels. The EUW is the format where that work is presented to and discussed with end users — the people who apply IACS rules and positions in practice. The site frames the 18th EUW as open to "anyone who would like to attend," so it is not limited to IACS member societies.

Key details at a glance

How to attend

1. Go to iacs.org.uk and locate the "IACS End User Workshop" item in the Latest News section.
2. Open the "Read More" link on that item. This is the page IACS uses for workshop details and attendance information.
3. Check the page for the registration route and any capacity or deadline notes before booking travel to London.
4. Confirm the dates against your calendar: the programme runs a full day on Wednesday 18 November and only the morning of Thursday 19 November, so plan an overnight stay if you are travelling in.

Expected result: you end up on the official EUW page with the current attendance instructions, rather than relying on second-hand summaries.

What to expect from the content

IACS's published positions give a good indication of the subjects in play. Its current position papers cover:

• Safety aspects of new technologies and fuels — developing instruments that use industry standards and best practices, aiming for inherently safer designs compliant with the IGF Code and related regulations.
• Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) — contributing through relevant forums, technical expertise, and partnerships with regulators and industry stakeholders.
• GHG emissions from ships — supporting IMO goal-based regulations and helping develop practical detail requirements and implementation of technical and operational measures.
• Nuclear propulsion — supporting safe, secure, and environmentally responsible integration of nuclear power into ship design and operations.

If your work touches any of these areas, the workshop is a chance to hear the reasoning behind the positions rather than just the published text.

Common pitfalls

• Assuming it is members-only. The site explicitly extends the invitation to anyone who would like to attend, but you still need to register through the official page.
• Planning for two full days. Thursday is a morning session only; build your travel around that.
• Relying on third-party event listings. Dates, venue, and registration are stated on iacs.org.uk — use the "Read More" link there as the source of truth.

Is it worth attending?

Attend if you need to understand how IACS is translating its positions on fuels, autonomy, GHG measures, and nuclear propulsion into practical requirements — the workshop puts you in the room with that work. Skip it if you only need the published positions, which are already available as position papers on the site. For anyone deciding, the low-friction test is simple: open the EUW page, check the registration details, and see whether the agenda matches a decision you actually face.