TOC Middle East draws to a close

27 Sep 2011 - By Holly Birkett, Managing Editor of Port Technology International, London, UK. - Editor's Blog

Day 3 of TOC Middle East – Tuesday 27th September 2011

So TOC has come to an end and I have that sad, deflated feeling you get when it’s time to go home. It’s been a fantastic few days – perhaps a little quieter than expected (but then I’m comparing it with TOC Europe, which is a veritable beast) but still hugely informative and enjoyable.

This morning I sat in for a session on IT system procurement in the Innovation Forum with Kent Busk from Seaport Innovations, and regular PTI author Dr. Yvo Saanen (I know it sounds as though I just go and watch people who write for us but, to be honest, I just drop in on what’s interesting! No favouritism here! Excluding, of course – y’know – the people I like best... I’d make a great dictator.)

One of the things that came out of the session was that when implementing a new IT system like a TOS, it’s a great opportunity to streamline your business and organisation – putting in a new IT system is as much about integrating people into it as it is your operations.  Further, there was some very interesting discussion on the contractual stipulations to demand from the supplier you choose – primarily, make sure they’re prepared to step in and help you with ongoing operator training and maintenance. I’m going to get an article on this for an upcoming edition (PS. subscribe!), which will explain it in far more detail than I can in the scant few hundred words I have here.

The rest of today I spent wandering round and visiting folks, and filling a carrier bag with all the promotional stationery on offer. My granddad used to build models out of matchsticks and I have big plans to construct a scale model of something whimsical (a gypsy caravan? The Mary Rose? An elaborate pagoda?) out of purloined Cargotec biro pens as soon as I get home.

It just remains for me to say a big thanks to all the team at TOC Events for a great show (best of luck with the baby, Suzanne!) and cheers, Sam, for putting letting me do a session as a complete newbie – you have guts alright. Thanks, too, to Mike Howie from Cavotec and Chris Booth from Cargotec for joining me for our “bar stool-style” session, you were top notch. Pity we weren’t in a real bar.

And seeing as we’re being all showbiz and lovey-dovey, thanks to you too for reading this thing – you have shown saint-like tolerance and perseverance. Please do let me know your thoughts on this or on any aspect of PTI (maybe you’d like to write for us? Or even better, ADVERTISE!). Part of the reason I enjoy attending events such as TOC is that it gives me the opportunity to get better at what I do, and source leads to give our readers exactly what they want – so let me know your thoughts.

‘Til then, stay productive, keep your operations efficient, and remember the golden rule: never park a straddle carrier on a railway line. Tata!

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