April is shaping up to be a busy month for logistics and supply chain educational events. On April 12, the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT) kicks off its Northeast Trade & Transportation Conference in Newport, R.I. Speakers will include Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Mario Cordero, FDA Director of Import Operations Domenic Veneziano, CONECT Washington Counsel Peter Friedmann, U.S. Customs policymakers, and executives from shippers, carriers, freight forwarders, and port authorities. The keynote address will be delivered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske.
Among the hot topics on the agenda: ACE compliance, port productivity and automation issues, pros and cons of ocean carrier alliances, SOLAS container-weight regulations, the chassis management crisis, and free trade agreements, to name just a few. On April 13, CONECT will celebrate its 25th anniversary at its annual gala dinner at Newport's spectacular Rosecliff mansion. For conference details and to register, go to www.conect.org.
Later that month, transportation professionals will gather in Orlando, Fla., for the 2016 NASSTRAC Shippers Conference & Transportation Expo. Sponsored by the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council, the conference, which takes place April 24 through 27, includes a slate of events designed to explore the impact of technology on the fast-evolving transportation industry.
The keynote presentation will be delivered jointly by Jack Holmes, president of UPS Freight, and Clarence Gooden, president of CSX Railroad, who will discuss the topic "Why Can't We All Just Get Along ... A Trucker and a Railroad Man Speak." Later that day, some of the industry's highest-profile leaders will sit down for a CEO panel featuring Brad Jacobs, CEO of XPO Logistics; Derek Leathers, CEO of Werner Enterprises; Mike Ducker, president of FedEx Freight; and UPS's Holmes. To register, visit www.nasstrac.org.
