Transport Logistic takes off June 2-5, at Munich Trade Centre, with Air Cargo Europe, the icing on a giant logistics confab as a partner event. The event manages to combine different interests in logistics in order to attract large crowds from all over the world. No one is quite sure how much audience spillover occurs between the venues, which in the case of air cargo organizers claims more than 262 exhibitors from 46 countries in a gigantic venue of 15,000 meters. But one fact is undeniable: this is the world’s biggest and most important logistics event, whether you attend as a big company, small Mom & Pop outfit, or even if you are just going to walk around and take in the view.
     This combined event represents the marriage of the two most important logistics initiatives being celebrated in Germany, hence the title of this editorial. For those who are not familiar with the jingle, let me borrow their intriguing explanation from theknot.com: the famous wedding recipe comes from the Old English rhyme, "Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe." All of these objects were seen as a must for brides to incorporate into their wedding dresses or carry with them on their wedding day. Why? Well, it all comes down to luck. People believed the items would bring good and happy marriages. According to Reader's Digest, the rhyme came about in the Victorian era from Lancashire, a county in England. Most of the ingredients in the rhyme are meant to ward off the evil eye, which, according to Reader's Digest, was ‘a curse passed through a malicious glare that could make a bride infertile.’
     So in some comfortable shoes, stop the bean counting and jump into the packed tradeshow floors for as much of this event as you can weather.  And remember: it may be a marriage of interests.
     On June 3rd DSLV, the Freight Forwarding and Logistics Association in Germany will hold a session, moderated by Frank Huster, DSLV’s DG and longstanding member of FIATA and CLECAT. The session proclaims its focus to be about “ESG regulations, such as the European CSR and CSDD directives and the EU taxonomy, are imposing increasing demands on the industry. Low thresholds and trickle-down effects of the market are also increasing pressure on medium-sized freight forwarding companies, which must disclose sustainability measures and absorb the additional costs for reporting obligations and CO2 monitoring.” Beware, the meeting is held in German: hence you may wish to refresh your Goethe . . .
     Other reasons why you may wish to visit Munich are abundant and span culture, food, architecture and even football . . . Let me stick to music for one sufficient bite.  This is the city where Carl Orff was born on July 10th 1895. He is the artist who gave the world the famous Carmina Burana.  This cantata combines spirit, earthly pleasures, inspiration, devotion and cunning, in a way that perfectly reflects the spirit of Munich from our point of view.
     This week’s Transport Logistic and Air Cargo Europe can rightfully be counted as number one and two in the world in terms of importance, and yet it is profoundly European. A certain element speaks for itself: in 2023 these were the top countries by number of attendees:

     Despite its European location and flair, ACE is unquestionably a trendsetter in air cargo globally and this is why we think it is always worth a visit. For folks that think they can do without the tradeshow floor crush and may pursue other interests in Munich, Air Cargo Europe will feature several sessions, yet rarely much emerges from these encounters, so you should not feel guilty if you prefer to mingle with the locals in more central areas of the Bavarian metropole. That is not to say that 2025 couldn’t be different: perhaps a closer look at the program is required . . .
     Casting an eye to the trailers reveals the unhidden ambition of the tradeshow: “In 2025, representatives of the complete air freight industry meet at air cargo Europe. The exhibitor directory provides a complete overview of the exhibiting companies.” Here is a session rundown: speaking of something new . . . Let’s look at the PR provided for the Press. “At an international level, the world of logistics is preoccupied with “Global supply chains in transition” (BVL), developments such as “My Nation First – Antiglobalization, trade wars, hot wars” (Club of Logistics) and “Future of Air Freight and Freighters”. The continuing wave of insolvencies is causing concern for SMEs. The Federal Association of Freight Transport and Logistics (BGL) will provide astatus report on this while the Verkehrsrundschau will pose the question: “Mediumsized transport companies: phased-out model or model for the future?”. The Expert Council on Digital Transformation in Transport and Logistics will discuss “How freight forwarders are mastering change” in a panel. Key players from business and research will comment on market developments, including major brands such as IKEA, Alfred Kärcher, Andreas Schmid Logistik and VDO/Continental.”
     One expects these to be new topics and concerns, but in reality is it not always the same history repeating? For those who have studied the history of trade, the picture is clear. After the industrial revolutions in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, much of today’s debate was already on the tables then. In the 21st Century we drive faster, but . . . Even technology, in particular IT and AI, which have become so invasive in our lives, was on top of the social debate then. Luddites were afraid that machines would substitute human work and at various degrees that debate was real, even if you were no extremist. Similarly, today we are afraid that AI will make us all redundant. Is it really different? It has always been about embracing change and the speed at which change can happen without creating disasters. We can only hope we have learned from past lessons to manage our future more successfully than in past instances.
     On June 2nd at 14:30 in Forum Hall A1 again you get something that is old and new at the same time: “Combating Greenhushing in Air Cargo to Ensure a Sustainable, People, Planet, Profit Future” launches the ACE session effort in cooperation with “Women in Aviation & Logistics” (WAL) created by the consultancy group Change Horizon and Meantime Communications. Not much advance content detail for this session is available aside from the descriptive “greenhushing” moniker that describes when companies choose to not communicate their sustainability efforts. Greenhushing in 2008 was advanced as a word by brand strategist Jerry Stifelman and writer Sami Grover in a blog post (now inaccessible) for Treehugger.com. You would think from arm’s length here with “Sustainability” on nearly everyone’s mind as result in no small part from the blizzard of sessions at events driving the “Sustainability Anthem”, that just maybe an attention malaise might also be advanced in some manner by subject overkill and fatigue . . . Hopeful that something new might develop here, so stay tuned. Note as this is written, no new postings on WAL website about anything for the past two years . . .
     Here are some other sessions at ACE 2025 that we consider to be mixing old and new in a way to attract audience:
     • Tuesday, June 3rd 10:00 - 11:00 in Forum Hall A2 “Artificial Intelligence - What is in it for Air Cargo?”
     • Wednesday, June 4th 10:00 - 11:00 in Forum Hall A1 “Future of Air Freight and Freighters”
     • Wednesday June 4th 13:30 - 14:30 Forum Hall A1 “Unlocking the Future: AI, Automation, and Digitalization in Air Cargo”
     
     Coming to something borrowed, maybe we can borrow some of the knowledge that originates from the distinguished speakers. As we know only too well, knowledge is the only resource that grows as it is being shared, unlike other ones which diminish and eventually come to an end. More power to their elbows!      These are the leaders that we need to listen to! Honestly we prefer to leave the reference to something blue for you to find out for yourselves when you transit the spacious galleries of Messe Munich, but the Munich Blue Line can become an inspiring diversion, if you do not want to spend the entire duration of your stay in the halls of the exhibition.  
     Now we come to the end of our rhyme and we must deal with the six pence piece. Well, the künstliche Intelligenz, i.e. Artificial Intelligence in German attire, comes diligently to your aid to inform you that – alas – the British six pence coin is not in use in Germany, as Germany switched to the Euro, before experiencing a not-so-trouble-free transition from  Reichsmark to the Deutsche Mark. The Euro came last, but using a six cent coin is not an option as it does not exist. AI uses a rather mysterious tone of regret and compunction, as if it was afraid of hurting our feelings of British nostalgia for the inexistent tanner, declared defunct in 1971. Somehow the BOT must have learnt that humans are susceptible entities.
     You have no six pence piece at hand? This does not mean that you must run away empty handed: the Messe Munich area just hosted the world celebrated Numismata in March. Who knows? Perhaps one of the British regulars could have dropped his or her silver collector’s tanner. The six pence coin was minted between 1551 and 1947, so there must still be some of them in some unheeded drawers somewhere . . . If you happen to find one, you can end today’s rhyme with ample success and make your visit to Munich completely fertile – as even the slightest malicious frown will be averted – and unforgettable!
Geoffrey Arend/Marco Sorgetti