Leveraging its position as a Top 5 Container Port in the U.S., Port Houston will host its 2nd annual Houston International Maritime Conference (HIMC23) on October 30 – November 1, 2023. The conference will tackle broad maritime industry challenges and opportunities that will shape the entire global supply chain, with specific focus on Port Houston’s commitment to investment, growth and readiness for the future.
“HIMC23 is designed to not only illustrate how Port Houston is in growth mode, but to also create an environment that encourages discussion and collaboration on the most significant topics that affect us all,” said Roger Guenther, Executive Director at Port Houston. “This is an industry that requires we all learn, build and grow together if we truly want a supply chain and intermodal infrastructure that can weather any storms the future has in store for us.”
HIMC23 will provide attendees with critical insights and learnings as well as a platform for industry leaders to share expertise, ideas and challenges with their peers. The conference agenda will feature a series of speakers and expert-led panel sessions addressing today’s “hot button” maritime topics ranging from the evolution of ocean carrier alliances to the future of breakbulk and project cargo, measures to advance terminal fluidity, and how sustainability targets, workforce dynamics, and technology will affect business operations.
Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to network throughout the event, with access to top decision makers from a range of maritime stakeholders, including shippers, BCOs, NVOCCs, ocean carriers, freight forwarders, trucking companies, equipment providers and repair and maintenance companies.
“Our goal is to become the gateway of choice for shippers. As a Top 5 Container Port in the U.S., Port Houston is committed to bolstering its leadership position, for example by expanding the Houston Ship Channel to accommodate larger vessels. This $1 billion expansion project is just one example of what we are doing locally that has a positive global impact. HIMC23 will showcase these investments and underscore the strategic significance of this critical region and the role Port Houston will play in the future of the supply chain,” said Guenther.
For more than a century, Port Houston has served as a strategic leader for the Houston Ship Channel and has played an essential part in the region’s global commerce. It owns, manages, and maintains eight public facilities along the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel, including the region's largest breakbulk facility and two of the country's most efficient container terminals. In fact, it is investing in capital improvements to its facilities to accommodate future demand, with $1.4 billion in landside infrastructure investments planned over the next five years.
Moreover, Port Houston had its busiest year yet in 2022, with its container annual volume up 14%, reaching just shy of 4 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), at 3,976,718 TEUs. This is nearly double the volume posted six years earlier in 2016. Total tonnage was up 16% for the year.
“HIMC23 emphasizes our commitment to our community, partners, and stakeholders by spotlighting forward-thinking ideas that will transform the way we do business as we prepare for what lies ahead,” added Guenther.
