MESSAGE FROM CONFERENCE CO–CHAIRMEN

Symposium Swan Song

Jaap Simonse, IFPTA Vice President Europe and Conference Co-Chair, PPI Transport Symposium 19

DECEMBER 2011 – Well the show is over. As Frank Sinatra did sing, “And now the end is here, And so I face the final curtain.”

We should not be over dramatic but I suppose that's the feeling George and I had at the end of PPI Transport Symposium 19. Together with RISI, our IFPTA colleagues and of course the session chairmen and the speakers, we tried to organise a good and interesting program for the conference. A conference that nowadays is part of a really big four-day event and includes a high quality exhibition, tours, receptions and even a partners' program.

And you were there in large numbers. Over 750 people attended the event, of which I believe at least 50% were present during one or more conference sessions. The session level attendance was a high quality one, at least that's what my impression was after talking to many of the delegates.

Sense of humor

Sometimes PPI Transport Symposium is a very serious event, sometimes quite a funny one. We will always remember especially seeing Alan Bog and Ulf Eriksen performing in the "Alan and Ulf Show" when addressing logistics in China. I have said it many times, in order to survive in forest products logistics you need a good sense of humor and their session provided both humour and great interest.

Amsterdam was an excellent choice and we even had, in the middle of October, two days of excellent weather. Amsterdam is a bicycling city and even more people took their bikes commuting to their offices because of this nice weather. Sometimes this resulted in many near collisions between cyclists and conference goers. The latter not being used to this type of traffic in the capital of the number one bicycling country in the world.

Of course it was not a perfect event. There are always things, which can be improved. To be honest one remark from my side: the CEPI sessions on Friday were not that well attended, only about 35 delegates were there. I am sure those who managed to catch these sessions were very satisfied about the quality of the presentations. One could say, "well that's not too bad for the final day." I do understand that remark after three days, of what which could be described as "hard working days with long hours." But still it was a session with very interesting presentations about the changing European market; over 350 million inhabitants who are consumers in western and central Europe.

Personally I was also a bit disappointed about the attendance at the IFPTA luncheon during which we honoured our founding fathers.

After the final session, during lunch in a deserted exhibition hall, RISI and a few IFPTA Board Members had their first evaluation of the conference. You will surely be asked for your comments as well. One of the suggestions was to limit the overall event to three days, including the port tour and receptions, instead of four. What do you think?

Lifelong calling

In two years from now it will be Baltimore, a city named after Lord Baltimore, a member of the Irish House of Lords. It's a big port and a great city. For the first time since several conferences ago our whole event, conference, exhibition and accommodation could be held under one roof. Absolutely great and imagine the money you can save on taxi fares!

George, after organising the program in Liverpool and Amsterdam, and I will now retire as Conference Chairmen. In Baltimore it will be Scot Menzies and his colleagues who will take over as Conference Chairman and we wish them all the very best in that respect. We are sure that they will make PPI Transport Symposium 20 a huge success.

For George and me, it's back to normal. I am not like George though, who is a handyman; qualified painter, wallpaperer, etc. In that respect I am more an observer, though my wife has a different name for my role. I like to go on holidays, read etc. But we both still plan to remain very active in the industry. George will continue working for an outstanding and very well respected shipping company and I will look forward to being involved in projects with respect to "greener" transportation methods in Western Europe, such as working on the Highways of the West-European rivers.

In the end, as always, our hearts are with our friends, colleagues and fellow professionals in the forest products transport industry. You could say it is a lifelong calling.

But first I am going to spend a holiday in the sterling British countryside, in what I expect to be 30 degrees Celsius. Hope springs eternal!

Once again, from both George Hudson and myself thanks to every one who joined us at the show. Special thanks to Rhiannon James and her RISI staff, Wendy Parsley and Ken Norris with the IFPTA, and to all our session chairmen and speakers. Without them we would not have had a conference.

Always remember, first and foremost, we are only the singers. Transport Symposium is your song, it is your conference.

Until we meet again in Baltimore!

PREVIOUS MESSAGES:

A PRE-SYMPOSIUM WALK AROUND AMSTERDAM
MAY 2011 – In early May, the weather in Western Europe was excellent. By April, we already reached about 24-25 degree Celsius, with only one week of 6 degree temperatures to break the trend...

FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU DO BEST
DECEMBER 2010 – In the middle of writing this column, I had a computer failure. I was panicking knowing that the deadline was fast approaching...

THE BEST LAID PLANS...
JUNE 2010 – Quo Vadis. That is what I have been wondering recently. And the main question nowadays is not only where but also how. Getting from point to point is not always an easy task, but even those of us who work in logistics...

AND SO IT BEGINS...
MARCH 2010 – During the four-day event, executives from leading forest products transport companies around the world agreed that the entire industry must work together to fully recover from the recent economic recession...

Innovating with the times

PPI TS19 is planning more than a few surprises in Amsterdam for the world's forest products logistics professionals

George Hudson, IFPTA Director and Conference Co-Chair, PPI Transport Symposium 19

AUGUST 2010 – Back in the fourth quarter 2009, I wrote what I thought might be my last Chairman's Corner, but as you all now know, you weren't that lucky! Less than three months later, our late president, Paul Doiron, asked me to co-chair our next PPI Transport Symposium with my (youngish) Dutch colleague Jaap Simonse.

So, you have had to put up with me for another two years, albeit in alternate quarters, talking about all things PPI Transport Symposium related. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. For those loyal readers of the Journal and this column, this really is my last stint at the Chairman's Corner. And by the time you read this, it will be time for all of us to head to Amsterdam for PPI Transport Symposium 19.

Actually, the last four years have been good fun, marred only by those tedious editorial deadlines for actually putting together each issue of our Association's magazine, the IFPTA Journal. And I have thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone, from the IFPTA Officers, Board of Directors, RISI and the IFPTA Association Management team at Quint Strategies to help create an event worthy enough to be called a biennial gathering of the global forest products logistics industry.

A night to remember

At the time of this writing, in mid-August and at the height of the summer holiday season, football has just started and the fall season's kickoff means there are only two months to go before the Opening Reception at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. It may be the one night of the year that I would rather have a drink with my good friends and colleagues than go to a football match.

The PPI TS19 Conference Program is settled and virtually all the speakers and panelists are in place. It has been a very busy schedule this time around, as Jaap and I put in extra hours to finalize theprogramme before most everyone disappeared off on holidays, especially in Europe. The response though has been tremendous and I can't thank our colleagues and fellow professionals enough for their support and efforts to build a can't-miss lineup of panel discussions.

Before Jaap went off for his holiday - an 8-day marathon cycle adventure through the continent - he put some of the finishing touches on the two CEPI sessions that take place on Friday, October 14. This is a totally new addition for the Symposium, partnering with another industry organization, which in itself demonstrates how much we are prepared to meet new and diverse challenges that we all face in business.

Do it now!

For anyone who is not registered yet, I only have three words: Do it now! I know it may sound cliché, but waiting this year until the last minute may leave you standing on the pier, so to speak. Early registration opened in early July and we had an overwhelmingly positive response. By the start of August, registration numbers have surpassed many previous Symposiums at the same point. That is really excellent news, both for the Symposium and the industry in general. All indications are that the RAI Amsterdam will be a full house.

The PPI TS19 Exhibition continues to attract both returning and first-time exhibitors, and is now almost 90% sold. This is another positive sign showing just how much the Symposium means to the forest products logistics industry, even after 30 years.

Speakers Corner is another new innovation for PPI TS19 that's already proven to be very popular. We quickly had three companies who wanted to take three of the seven open slots available, and by this writing all slots have been filled, plus one additional slot. Speakers Corner is an opportunity to present commercial and product information for our industry, topics that don't easily fit into the conference program. This is something we will look into developing more in the future, providing a more well rounded experience for industry professionals.

Another innovation for this year's Symposium is a slight change to the traditional port tour. We have switched the Port Tour to Tuesday, October 11, to be followed that evening with the Opening Reception. This way, the exhibit hall will stay open the entire first day of the Symposium, allowing everyone a chance to visit the more than 50 exhibitors who are participating in this year’s event. Make sure and RSVP to save your spot on the boat.

CEPI, Speakers Corner, Port Tour: All signs at how the IFPTA and RISI are working to innovate with the times. Nothing stays the same, and like all forward-thinking organizations, we must move with the times and recognize what delegates and exhibitors want from a world-class symposium.

I know I have said this before, but I feel it's worth mentioning again with this PPI TS19 edition of theIFPTA Journal. Jaap and I are only the most public faces of the entire team that works on PPI Transport Symposium. From both sides of the pond, they work tirelessly to bring us together every two years for a remarkable event. We cannot do this without them and they truly are deserving of our thanks and appreciation.

So, now I bid farewell in my last column and take comfort in the fact that the next column will see a new face and bring a new perspective to the Symposium and our industry. I look forward to seeing you all in Amsterdam!

PREVIOUS MESSAGES:

PICKING UP THE PACE AS PPI TS19 TAKES SHAPE
MARCH 2011 – The PPI Transport Symposium 19 Conference Programme is really beginning to take shape. And not a moment to soon. At the time of this writing, we have only nine months to go until PPI TS19 convenes in Amsterdam. Have I said before how time really flies?

HOW QUICKLY TIMES FLIES
SEPTEMBER 2010 – Already, we are just 14 months, a little over a year, away from PPI Transport Symposium 19 and Liverpool is fading into the distance. Amsterdam is where we are looking now and this is how it should be. Look back fondly one last time...

I'M BACK!
MARCH 2010 – Just when you thought the Chairman's Corner had seen the last of me, up I pop again. This time, it is as Co-Chairman for PPI TS19 to held in Amsterdam in 2011...