By Paul Scott Abbott, AJOTAn upbeat atmosphere is expected when a couple thousand freight transportation industry leaders converge on Southern California in mid-November.
The gathering, at the Anaheim Convention Center, is to mark the penultimate edition of collocated trade shows and conferences of the Intermodal Association of North America and the National Industrial Transportation League, with IANA putting on its 30th Intermodal Expo from Nov. 11-13 and NITL holding its 105th annual meeting and TransComp Exhibition from Nov. 10-14.
“Things in the intermodal industry are going full speed ahead,” said Joni Casey, president and chief executive officer of Calverton, Md.-based IANA. “This should be a good time for those in the intermodal industry to get together and celebrate recent successes and plan for growth in the future.”
Joni Casey, president and CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America, expects an upbeat mood at IANA’s 30th Intermodal Expo.
Bruce Carlton, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based NITL, commented, “The economy is in recovery, or it’s at least moving in the right direction. Vendors believe there will be a more positive tone. I think people will be feeling better as we’re rounding the corner into 2013.”
Bruce Carlton, president and CEO of the National Industrial Transportation League, anticipates a positive tone at NITL’s 105th annual meeting and TransComp Exhibition.
Casey noted that IANA programming this year is to feature an expanded student program, with Intermodal Expo to include tours of Southern California intermodal facilities plus the return to the trade show floor of an academic competition, initiated in 2011, between teams of logistics students from the University of Maryland and the University of North Florida – both schools at which students benefit from IANA scholarships.
Also, for the first time, IANA is coordinating with the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver on a professional development program to assist beneficial cargo owners in reducing supply chain costs, and the exhibit hall is to feature a Mexican pavilion, in conjunction with the Mexican Association of Intermodal Transport.
As has been the case in recent years, topical workshops on the trade show floor are planned to augment educational sessions held in ballroom and conference spaces. Board and committee meetings, receptions and a golf tournament also are on the combined schedule.
The Monday, Nov. 12, program is to kick off with presentation of industry awards during a session with featured speakers Fernando Cortes, senior vice president for supply chain and logistics at Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc.; Brian Hancock, president of U.S. operations of the Martin-Brower Co. LLC, world’s largest distributor to McDonald’s restaurants; and Rick Smith, vice president for transportation at Sears Holdings Corp.; while the next afternoon is to feature motivational remarks from NASCAR driver Danica Patrick on the topic of “Pushing Yourself to the Limits.”
Carlton said he believes Southern California provides an ideal location for the events, as it is home to the two largest U.S. containerports, thriving intermodal links, major airports and bustling distribution centers – and California is typically at the lead in regulations impacting freight transportation.
The Transportation Intermediaries Association in recent years had held its fall meeting in conjunction with the IANA and NITL events, but TIA, which represents the third-party logistics industry, ended that relationship following the November 2011 shows in Atlanta.
After a decade of being held contemporaneously, the final collocation of the IANA and NITL events is slated for Nov. 16-20, 2013, in Houston. As jointly announced in late September, IANA and NITL are to relaunch standalon
