As someone who has attended a lot of “Cargo Shows” here are some observations regarding their proliferation (which is something of an issue), and value (which I think is the primary concern).
The value will depend on which industry segment is the focal point.

Depends On Your Point Of View

     Carriers have very different perspectives on issues than forwarders, and airports are even further removed from those perspectives. The wide range of vendors that are in the industry all have slightly different agendas as well.
     I have frequently heard “it will be great to get a perspective from the other segments of the industry” as individuals plan which conferences to attend.
     The problem is that if it’s not his or her business segment, then a lot of what is said is lost on the participant.
     If someone is planning to attend a conference, they should have a purpose, and if it’s more than networking (which is obviously important) then they should screen the agenda to make sure that the value is there.

Words Worth The Effort

      Putting a large show together requires a tremendous amount of time and effort and we should never fail to recognize this. Where the difficulties start is in evolving a meaningful theme for the event and subsequently following it in a structured fashion with solid speakers.
     I think we have all experienced disappointment when speakers fail to deliver.
     This happens for several reasons.
     The first is that the presentation becomes a commercial.
     This is often a huge irritant because they convey publically available information. Attendees are looking for perspective and insight not an annual report.
     The second is that a presentation becomes a history lesson rather than a peek into a crystal ball.
     Retrospective is not nearly as helpful as foresight.
     The third is that the presentation that was given to forwarders in March may not be a good fit for airports in April.
     The core topic may stay the same but adjustments probably need to be made.
     The fourth is that some speakers may be brilliant but not good presenters.
     Unless the committee has first-hand information, this is not an easy fix.
     Speakers need to know the audience – and moderators need to know and manage the speakers.
     A panel needs to be coordinated: whether it is a discussion group or formal presentations, the narrative needs to be synergistic and relatable to the audience
     Regardless of what is motivating the conference, the organizations that pull these shows together usually have financial targets that they need to achieve.
     The macro perspective usually gets them to where they need to be in that regard.
     But the devil will remain in the details - finding qualified speakers who are good presenters, coordinating their efforts to bring added-value and eliminate duplication, and structuring individual sessions with the audience in mind.
     All that being said, the increasing number of conferences in an era of economic restraint is not a very good idea.
     The vast wealth of knowledge that we have in the industry gets spread too thin over a hundred trade shows, and potential attendees are playing pot luck on participation.
     One may exist somewhere, but if not, an annual guide to air cargo shows might be a helpful tool.
(Daniel B. Muscatello)

Editor's Note: Dan is Managing Director, Cargo & Logistics, Landrum & Brown based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
We have known Dan from his days as manager of air cargo for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
Today he has gone way beyond just New York, in a stellar 30-year career that has included projects all over the world.
Dan has been a development strategist for both the business and physical facility planning of air cargo complexes, and the integration of ancillary and supporting logistics services that make them operationally and financially feasible.
We look forward to hearing from Dan often with special commentaries and welcome our readers comments as well.

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