Shanghai – “A Look Up Front”

Next week, exhibitors, delegates, and visitors from all over the world will flock to Shanghai’s New International Expo Center to attend Air Cargo China, an integrated part of Transport Logistic China. We spoke with some of the participants what motivates them to join the show.
Here’s what they told us:

Steven Polmans, Head of Cargo, Brussels Airport
“China and Asia remain an important market in Air Cargo, both for us as an airport but also for many of the companies at our airport. Export figures grew last year and Belgium is generating more export cargo to China than for example the Netherlands. So we feel that being present in China and promoting ourselves in the China market as well as to the greater Asia region remains as an added value. As on previous exhibitions, we will also have our pavilion booth again, offering a platform for some of our partners at BRUcargo to give them an opportunity to promote themselves. Also some additional side events are planned. We feel that this role, where we act as a facilitator for BRUcargo, is as important as promoting ourselves. So the return we are expecting is not short term gain, but long term investment in image, relations and reputation. And although there is some exciting news coming up in the next days and weeks, we will not especially use the conference to promote this but we will rather focus on the normal business networking and relation building.”

Robert van de Weg, Senior VP Marketing and Sales, AirBridge Cargo

“We really look forward to the Shanghai-held event. Seen from our perspective it promises to be a great trade show as our already fully booked agendas demonstrate.  Our main purpose is to meet customers and highlight our large and growing presence in the Chinese market. We want to promote and stress our service offering to the Chinese market to and from our gateways Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Zhengzhou and Chengdu. Our on-time performance to and from Russia and major forwarder consolidation gateways like Frankfurt, Milano, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Chicago and Dallas is our key message, we intend to deliver to as many participants as possible. Good thing is that our airport and handling partners are also there. Seeing and meeting them all at one spot the event provides an efficient and adequate platform to do as much business as possible in a rather short period of time. So I’m really looking forward to be the many meets and talks at Air Cargo China next week.” 

Markus Heinelt, Director Traffic Development Cargo Business Division Aviation, Munich Airport „China is still the biggest air cargo market for Germany.
Southern Germany with Munich as the region’s by far largest gateway accounts for about 45 percent of the entire cargo tonnage and flow of shipments between Germany and China - both ways. Munich airport offers an increasing number of direct flights on intercontinental routes and in addition to the growing passenger business we can also see a strong demand for direct freighter operations. All lower deck capacities offered by passenger airlines serving Munich for transporting cargo shipments are very well booked on roundtrips to and from China. This also applies to main deck service provider AirBridge Cargo who’s capacity on their Boeing 747-400Fs or 747-8F have been well utilized by their clients from the very first day of their flights from Munich to China via Moscow and back.
Therefore, from a holistic point of view participating at the Shanghai-held Transport Logistic Show is a must for our airport. We decided to run our own booth there to welcome and host representatives from airlines, forwarding agencies and others. This way, we hope to strengthen the partnership with our airline customers and to establish new ties.”

Bernd Maresch, CEO HANS MARS Agency, Moderator
"Straight into highly important industry topics, I will involve industry leaders and people with a clue with two elaborate discussions: Our panels at transport logistic 2014, Air Cargo China will have two very actual themes: ‘Create talent’ and ‘The Asean Economic Community: Implications for air freight and the e-AW’. Both of which are topics that will have a direct implication to our air cargo industry in the very near future, actually already today. It depends on us, though how we deal with them.  Everyone talks about the importance of know how sharing - we do it, by talking about it with experts.

My aim is to challenge the panelists to come up with concrete measures, ideas and follow up actions: no presentation - just pure opinions, conclusions and commitments with to do lists. The audience will be encouraged to raise lots of questions and the panelists are invited to a factual know how sharing." Here are some snap shots of what will be discussed: