The Air Cargo Handling Conference has chosen the perfect time to come to Italy’s industrial, financial and logistics capital, Milan, where the 2014 event will be held from 17th to 19th September at the Sheraton Milan Malpensa Airport Hotel.
The Italian air cargo market, and Malpensa in particular, has seen a continuous recovery since the second half of 2013 that has continued strongly into 2014. And Malpensa has begun a major cargo expansion phase that will create three new first-line handling facilities by 2017, doubling the current capacity to around 1 million tonnes.
This follows the introduction last year of the Malpensa ‘Cargo Services Charter’, which defines minimum cargo handling standards at the airport. A new IT platform will also be introduced to simplify the exchange of information between all players and make Malpensa a ‘smart city’ for freight.
With new investment going into Alitalia and Milan hosting EXPO 2015, Milan is reinforcing its credentials as Southern Europe’s leading trade, logistics and air freight centre.
Solution-focused conference
With its theme this year of ‘Customer Experience, Performance, Simplification and Productivity’, the Air Cargo Handling Conference & Exhibition 2014 will further reinforce its status as the sector’s premier annual event, retaining and sharpening its action-oriented, solution-focused approach and examining best practice, new developments, and deliverable improvements in key areas of air freight operations. It promises to combine the best elements of the last five successful years with new features, including scheduled one-to-one meetings designed to optimise delegates’ time and the opportunity for productive meetings and networking.
The event has also been extended to two full days, including one and a half days of conference sessions and a full afternoon of workshops. Panel discussions, workshops and focused presentations will cover the most up-to-date developments in airport cargo operations and logistics, including sessions on: quality and standards; processes and technology; security and safety; customers and their needs (airline, forwarder and shipper); improving the interfaces of the handling chain; optimising productivity and efficiency; e-freight and digitalisation; customs initiatives; and emerging opportunities.
Speakers, panellists, moderators and delegates include the world’s leading air cargo handlers, carriers, forwarders, shippers, airports, associations, customs representatives and technology providers.
It is, quite simply, the year’s must-attend event.
