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| TOC Europe 2009 To Help The Industry Ride Out The Storm Following a hugely successful 2008 event in Amsterdam, TOC Europe, the most influential terminal operations conference and exhibition in the world, relocates to Germany this June. The Bremen Exhibition and Conference Centre will play host to the 33rd TOC Europe, from 16–18 June 2009, where more than 120 exhibitors will showcase the latest in cutting edge technology, alongside a high-quality conference and a brand new series of technical workshops. In a time when many European harbours are struggling with capacity, Bremenhaven's extension now puts it in the 'Champion's League' of ports, as stated by Bremen's head of government, Mayor Bohrnsen, when he spoke at the new terminal's inauguration on 12 September 2008. This new development, combined with Bremen's rich maritime history makes the city the perfect choice for TOC Europe 2009. With over 30 years of servicing the ports and terminals industry with its unique format, TOC Europe has proved itself to be the event on the European, and indeed global, maritime calendar. What gives the event stand-out is that it covers both strategic business development and practical operational issues under the same roof, ensuring a larger audience of industry professionals and thereby improving networking, learning and business opportunities for everyone involved. Paul Holloway, Event Director of TOC Events Worldwide, commented: "TOC Europe is a one-stop-shop for everyone involved in the container port sector. The strong visitor numbers at the 2008 event, along with an exhibition which is now sold out, are a strong indication of the value visitors, delegates and exhibitors place on this event. This is particularly true in the current uncertain economic climate. Attending TOC offers operators the opportunity to source technology that will impact on their productivity and ultimately reduce cost. It also provides invaluable educational and networking opportunities for all those that attend. "The success of the conference relies on our ethic of ensuring that the editorial integrity of our programme is upheld and of extremely high-quality. We have devised a conference programme that will focus on the economic downturn and other pertinent issues facing the industry today and in the future, " concluded Paul. TOC Conference – riding out the storm Who could have predicted the global economic events of the last year, even more so, who knows where the global maritime container trade will stand in a few months time? The 33rd TOC Europe Conference will analyse the latest market trends, offer insights into the strategies of some of the top industry leaders, best practice ideas and fresh perspectives on how shippers, ports and terminals can survive, or even take advantage of these difficult times. As terminal operations professionals come under increasing pressure to deliver swift cost reductions without compromising customer service, Monday's highly-practical pre-conference workshop will offer delegates suggestions on how operations can be improved by analysing terminal KPIs. Workshop leaders Kent Busk and Edwin Dekker, from Seaport Innovations, will offer attendees a valuable opportunity to bring KPIs to the workshop for individual analysis. Participants will then receive a personal benchmarking report following the event. This year's conference will feature some of the industry's most influential speakers including Dries van Dongen, Head of Terminals – Strategy & Efficiency, Maersk Line, Markus Pressdee, Managing Director and Head of Infrastructure, Credit Suisse and Ghislain Lorthiois the Deputy Managing Director of CMA CGM Terminal Link. Speakers will present on topics such as how benchmarking and best practice can help get the most out of a business, the new financial landscape and leveraging IT for maximum impact. 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. David Charlesworth of Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, stated: "TOC is an impressive place where some serious thought is given to the future of the ports and terminal industry." Learn for FREE at TOC A series of free educational workshops will be running during TOC Europe 2009. The brand new TOC Events Workshops will run on the exhibition floor all day on Tuesday and Wednesday, focusing on automation and productivity. Leading industry suppliers including APS Technology, ABB and Conductix-Wampfler will present to visitors, enabling them to source new cost-efficient products and services. In addition to this, three high-quality presentations will take place on Thursday 18 June. Workshop One will cover equipment procurement and asset management, to help ensure operators get the best value out of the equipment. Visitors can find out more about managing and minimising risk in the second workshop (11am), which will cover port equipment safety and loss prevention. Finally, Workshop Three will illustrate how the use of simulation technology can support container terminal planning and operations. Meet, discuss and work together Networking opportunities at TOC Europe have always been exceptional and the new online networking facility will provide delegates with a virtual meeting opportunity ahead of the exhibition. By accessing a dedicated inbox on the TOC Europe website, delegates can make contact, plan to meet with selected contacts in person and start planning their trip as soon as they register. This year's event will also once again feature the hugely-popular 'Happy Hour'. Exhibitors, delegates, speakers, VIPs and visitors will be able to mingle on the exhibition floor for an extra hour after the conference has closed to discuss ideas and opportunities. What's more, networking lunches are planned to take place on the exhibition floor every afternoon. This again offers the opportunity for delegates and exhibitors alike to meet new business prospects and discuss opportunities and as an added bonus; delegates can look forward to a guided tour of the Bremen Ports Terminal on the final day of the conference. Show, see, discuss one-to-one As the largest event of its kind in Europe, TOC Europe's exhibition floor will extend over 2, 500 sqm and feature more than 120 exhibitors from around the globe. Now is undoubtedly a challenging time for those within the industry, but one of the most cost-effective ways for companies to respond to global issues is to make a visit to the TOC Europe exhibition. The event provides the opportunity to view the latest product innovations, gather market information and develop strategic partnerships as well as maintain contact with current suppliers. Dag Tryggö, Managing Director of Loxystem, launched an innovative new remote control twistlock, the RAT system, at last year's TOC Europe. He commented: "Having a presence at TOC Europe 2008 enabled us to showcase a brand new product. The exhibition is a great forum to launch a new product as all the industry leaders attend the event." Fredrik J. Johanson, Global Sales Manager at ABB Crane Systems, added: "We have been exhibiting at TOC for as long as I can remember and we would never miss one for the world. Everyone in the industry knows about TOC which makes it the place to meet all the industry's key players. Even now, through the downturn, we are sticking with TOC as they are providing us with not only key buyers but also comprehensive seminars and workshops." write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Exhibition News :: home page |