Event preview: TOC Container Supply Chain: Middle East 2011

15 Sep 2011 - Going Places, Port Planning, Shipping

Planning for a sustainable future

TOC Container Supply Chain: Middle East, 25 – 27 September DWTC, Dubai

Nations across the Middle East have continued to invest substantially in developing their transportation infrastructures, with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries currently implementing around US$200 billion worth of projects. The region is quickly becoming one of the success stories of the global logistics industry and today it is seen as one of the world’s most essential trade hubs.

The region’s favourable geographic location provides it with a strong opportunity to establish one of the world’s most important transport and logistics hubs. Not only along the Europe-Asia trade lane, but also for northern and central Africa, Pakistan and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

To help terminal operators, cargo owners and 3PLs take advantage of the huge opportunities available in the area, TOC Events Worldwide, the organiser of the leading container supply chain conferences in Asia, Europe and the Americas, hosts its second event dedicated to the Middle East market in Dubai from 25-27 September 2011.

TOC Container Supply Chain: Middle East draws upon the official support of DP World, the Dubai ports giant which operates marine terminals around the world, and will explore the future for the region’s trade with the rest of the world. The three-day conference, which runs alongside the Materials Handling Middle East show, will feature presentations from a host of key industry figures who will provide valuable market information and advice to all those involved in providing logistics, transport and port services to and from the Middle East markets.

Paul Holloway, Event Director of TOC Events Worldwide, commented: “The investment in the Middle East logistics industry has been phenomenal and businesses are currently expanding their operations as the region increasingly becomes a leading global export centre. TOC Container Supply Chain: Middle East will include a high quality, editorially driven conference that will assess, amongst other things, the likely implications of the recent significant political changes on the region’s trade patterns and logistics development. Additionally, the programme will investigate the opportunities and challenges that come as a result of becoming an important logistics hub.

“Dubai is an outstanding venue for TOC Container Supply Chain Middle East. Although other areas are growing fast, the Emirate is still the economic and financial powerhouse generating almost 40% of the region’s exports. By co-locating the show with Materials Handling Middle East, 3PLs, terminal operators, shipping lines and cargo owners will be provided with an all-encompassing view of the region’s ports and logistics sector, which we believe will help the industry to develop and better serve the changing trade landscape.”

Debating the issues that matter most
The conference sessions over the three-day show will address the concerns of the market, plus give a focussed insight into Middle Eastern trade and the sustainability of new terminals in the region.

Neil Madden, the TOC: Container Supply Chain Middle East Conference Editor, added: “It goes without saying that trade and logistics play hugely important roles in the Middle Eastern economy. Over the years, the region has gone from being a predominantly import economy to being a major export centre. This has presented the transportation industry with a number of challenges that have needed to be addressed in order to serve the changing trade landscape. Our aim is to spotlight these major issues affecting the region during the three-day event.”

Day one of TOC Container Supply Chain: Middle East will feature high level perspectives from cargo owners, carriers, ports and terminals, plus analysts, exploring the role of the Middle East in the world today and for the coming years.

During the opening session, Peter Ford, CEO of the Port of Salalah, Farouk Soussa, Chief Economist at Citi, Tim Stear, Global Head of Maritime Security at Control Risks, and Richard Davidsen, Chief Commercial Officer of the Aqaba Container Terminal, will speak about the changing political landscape and its affect on trade to and from the Middle East. The key speakers will explore whether external trade will prosper or suffer in the wake of demands for political change, and discuss the implications for port and shipping security, and how regional trade balances will play out.

As the Middle East economies transform themselves from predominantly import to export economies, the conference will examine the dynamics behind this fundamental shift and the implications for regional trade and logistics flows. Captain Saleem Alavi from The Maritime Administration of United Arab Emirates, Dr. Juergen Sorgenfrei, Director of Consulting Services, Maritime and Hinterland Logistics at IHS Global Insight, Mike Garratt, Managing Director of MDS Transmodal, and Dr. Gianluca Barletta, Senior Consultant of Parsons Brinckerhoff, will discuss the economic drivers behind the region’s import and export markets, liner trade patterns and implications for port calls, the outlook for intra-regional trade flows and the changing nature of petrochemical exports

After lunch, on day one, delegates will be treated to a special panel discussion featuring two major shipping lines. Lars Oestergaard Nielsen, Managing Director UAE, Qatar and Oman at shipping giant Maersk Line, and Steve Dolan, Vice President Middle East and East Africa of APL Emirates, will offer their perspectives on the implications of liner service strategies for ports and terminals in the Middle East.

On day two, the conference splits into two streams. The popular Operations sessions will provide in-depth discussion on the development of the region’s port capacity and container terminal facilities, covering issues including facility planning and design, adoption of automation and advanced operating technologies, training, safety and sustainability.

The brand new Container Supply Chain stream will include case studies and analysis of supply chain planning and execution across the region, including the growing role of 21st century port complexes within the wider logistics chain. Major cargo owners and freight forwarders, including representatives from Heinz, UPS and Kuehne + Nagel, will be present to discuss the impact of ocean container transport on supply chain performance.

Finally a series of workshops and seminars will run on the exhibition floor throughout the show. On day two, the focus will be on energy conservation, environment and sustainability, and terminal management support. Top industry figures will present their thoughts on what the ports and terminals sector can learn from other industries and how businesses can improve their operational efficiency.

All attendees to the conference will benefit from the highly informative presentations and discussions on key topics – covering everything from terminal operations and technology, planning, performance and automation through to looking at the workforce, sustainability and the environment.

Show, See, Discuss One-to-One
A number of leading companies have already signed up as exhibitors and sponsors of the TOC Container Supply Chain: Middle East exhibition. Abu Dhabi Terminals, , Moffatt & Nichol, ABB Crane Systems, Cavotec, Camco Technologies, Prysmian, Terex, Siemens, Liebherr, Konecranes and World Crane Services are just a selection of the businesses that have chosen to showcase their services and solutions to the high-level visitors that will be present at the event.

The exhibition floor will provide visitors with the opportunity to gather market information, develop strategic partnerships and allow exhibitors to secure constructive business deals. For an exhibition floor plan, visit http://www.tocevents-me.com.

The TOC Innovation Forum will host 3 days of free seminars featuring speakers from Maersk Training, APM Terminals, Drilling Systems and many more

“TOC Container Supply Chain Middle East is set to be a hugely successful show and will be a must attend event for global stakeholders of the container supply chain. Our ambitious plans for this region are long term. It is important for us to demonstrate we are a serious player in a competitive events market place. Our reputation is paramount to our brand and I have no doubt we will deliver the event that the market expects and deserves in September ‘ Paul Holloway concluded.

The TOC Container Supply Chain: Middle East Conference & Exhibition is co-located with Materials Handling Middle East and will run from 25-27 September 2011 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE.