TIACA set to open the Air Cargo Forum 2016

TIACA’s biennial Air Cargo Forum (ACF) in Paris will open on October 26 and is expected to welcome more than 3,000 industry decision makers and more than 200 exhibitors to network and discuss current industry trends and challenges.
As well as the wide range of exhibitors, the event also features a conference programme covering issues such as the future of air cargo, the latest disruptive innovations, e-business challenges, multimodal opportunities and the new  European Union (EU) Customs code.
In total, 75 industry leaders, including Fang Liu, ICAO secretary general, will take part in three days of discussion and practical workshops.
Speakers from Boeing, Accenture, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Panalpina, as well as from ACF hosts Groupe ADP and Air France KLM Cargo, will share insights over 15 sessions.
In 2016, shippers will take centre stage at the event as it hosts a series of panels and workshops aimed at bringing the industry closer together to improve quality and communication.
The organisation has been attempting to increase the participation of shippers over the last year and has expanded its Shippers’ Advisory Committee by appointing a cross-section of influential global air cargo customers.
Representatives from Chanel Fragrances and Beauté, Ericsson, and Sandvik Machining Solutions have joined the committee, which is chaired by Lars Droog, manager of supply chain and general affairs with Tosoh Corp, the Japanese chemical conglomerate.
Marine Harvest RMT and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries are also now members.
Meanwhile, European Shippers Council (ESC) chairman Denis Choumert has been appointed to the organisation’s board.
Also, the Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) will hold two sessions at ACF, debating quality initiatives and solutions for streamlining processes, whilst the ESC will hold a mini-summit aimed at improving communication between airlines, forwarders, and the customer.
“We are excited to be providing an important platform for our industry to come together and work towards delivering a slicker supply chain,” said TIACA secretary general Doug Brittin.
“We are very pleased to be working with shippers for this ACF to give them a platform to speak about the issues which affect them, so that we can learn to collaborate and improve our industry.
“These are challenging times for us all and it has never been more important for us to work together.
“The ACF is a unique opportunity to share insight and expertise as well as to make new contacts and strengthen existing relationships.”
The ACF seminar programme also includes sessions on the cargo hub of the future, e-commerce and embracing the Cloud, as well as practical workshops on the latest developments in pre-loading advance cargo information (PLACI) regulations.
New to ACF this year is CargoLinX, TIACA’s on-line meeting scheduler for the show, which allows visitors to book up to thirty 25-minute meetings with 45 leading global air cargo companies, weeks in advance of the event.
Meanwhile, Cargo iQ, the IATA interest group with the mission of creating and implementing quality standards for the worldwide air cargo industry, will hold a forum for shippers at the ACF.
The group is holding its board and membership meeting in Paris the day before ACF opens, and Cargo iQ executive director Ariaen Zimmerman will join one of the panels convened by the GSF to discuss the importance of quality for the industry on October 26.
“Cargo iQ is all about transparency, and setting the standard for reliable quality in the global air cargo community,” said Zimmerman.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to communicate our message to so many air cargo influencers in October.”
The impact of the Brexit vote on the new EU Customs code and the PLACI regulations will also be discussed at the event.
“It is too early to speculate on what the actual implications of Brexit may be for our industry, but the fact is that the UK vote to exit the European Union stirs up the already muddy global picture,” said Brittin, who will retire from his position at the end of the year.
“Whether it is the implications for PLACI, which may now need a separate version, or the effect on air cargo flows through Europe, there will be plenty to consider and the ACF will provide an important platform for discussion and information sharing.”