The booming rail freight industry in North America and strong growth in use of inland ports for cargo transport, are just two of the topics being debated at TIACA’s 2018 Air Cargo Forum, taking place from 16th to 18th October in Toronto, Canada.
The e-commerce boom and its effect on logistics, how Blockchain will deliver smart and secure supply chains, and the future of unmanned freight aircraft will also feature in the seminar and panel program of the three-day event, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
“We have been expanding our global reach and investing in new collaborative efforts in order to broaden the scope, as well as incorporate fresh insight into our 2018 ACF seminar program,” said Vladimir Zubkov, TIACA Secretary General.
“The program this year includes important topics looking at the challenges and opportunities facing airfreight and beyond, and we will also welcome the voice of leaders from across the spectrum of freight to see how we can learn from each other, find new ways of working together, and grow.”
The Forum will also see the welcome return of CargoLinX, the online ‘speed networking’ scheduling tool, which allows visitors to schedule up to thirty 25-minute meetings with leading air cargo companies ahead of the event, which went live last week.
TIACA has been strengthening relationships with other freight organisations around the world in order to advance more effectively on issues of mutual concern and expand the regional and industry base of the ACF.
The Association recently partnered with AMACARGA, the Mexican forwarders Association, which is sending a delegation to the event, and is also co-locating its 2018 ACF with the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA)’s 70th anniversary.
Other partners of this year’s event include the Federation of National Associations of Cargo Agents and International Logistical Operators of Latin America and the Caribbean (ALACAT), Americas Alliance, AGUNSA, Airports Council International, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), the Airforwarders Association (AfA), and Neutral Air Partner.
The big themes on the packed seminar program are the digital revolution, Big Data, robotics and Blockchain.
Nicole Verkindt, the Canadian host of Dragon’s Den Canada and founder of OMX, will be among the panellists in the kick-off session looking at the digital transformation of air cargo supply chains.
In keeping with the new collaborative spirit, there will be a panel discussion on North American rail freight, with experts from, among others, CN and the Freight Management Association of Canada discussing how to maintain service quality and avoid overcapacity at a time of strong growth for the rail freight industry.
Another panel, led by transport and logistics advisory firm Global Logistics Development Partners, will explore inland waterway transport to see whether it is the “next big thing” for the supply chain industry.
The CargoLinX tool, which is sponsored by Qatar Airways and run in partnership with Neutral Air Partners and Americas Alliance, is up and running.
At the previous ACF in 2016 in Paris, 653 meetings were organised via the tool, with 26 companies.
One user of the online tool last year, Suresh Nair, Sales & Services Worldwide Manager Commercial Cargo, Oman Air, said, “CargoLinX was a good platform for Oman Air Cargo to meet up with our direct customers and industry partners. We had a good number of meetings during the two-day program.”
For more information about CargoLinX or to register or exhibit at TIACA’s 29th ACF visit tiaca.org, or contact Warren Jones, TIACA Executive Director at wjones(at)tiaca.org or Kenneth Gibson, Manager of Accounts and Business Development, at kgibson(at)tiaca.org, or call +1 786 265 7011.
