Messe Munich, partnering with TIACA since October last year, intends to open the traditional Air Cargo Forum and Exhibition to other modes of transportation, be they road, sea or rail. This will happen for the first time in November 2020, when the next TIACA Air Cargo Forum (ACF) is scheduled to take place in Miami.
Every two years on a different continent, in another city: TIACA’s traditional biennial rotation policy will end in the fall of 2020. Then, industry leaders and exhibitors from around the world
will flock to Miami, Florida to attend the ACF and discuss the mounting challenges the global air freight community faces, as well as the latest developments and business opportunities.
They will witness the start of a new era. As the next decade begins, TIACA will always be held in Miami, pitting an end to the long-favored vagabonding scheme.
Simultaneously, ACF will turn into a multimodal tradeshow, thus broadening its spectrum of exhibitors, attendees and agenda topics, as other segments will be co-located under the now launched
umbrella of transport logistic Americas.
Steven Polmans supports the concept
The Miami scheme is modeled on the Munich-held Transport Logistic and its sister show, Transport Logistic China, held in Shanghai. Not only do both events have a proven record, but they are also
open to all modes of transportation, making the events extremely attractive for the entire transport world.
In a first reaction, TIACA helmsman Steven Polmans applauds the new concept: “Initially, this was on the table as a future option. The fact that there is already interest and demand to do this as of next years, confirms the decision we took as TIACA to land in Miami and work together with a partner as Messe Muenchen. This will give the event even more visibility and opportunities.”
Long-term concept
The acquisition of exhibitors for the upcoming Miami ACF already began during the June-held Transport Logistic, Messe Muenchen’s Group Director, Robert Schoenberger, confirms. “At our last
Munich trade show, we had first talks with anchor customers such as Kuehne + Nagel, DHL, DB Schenker and others, who showed great interest and gave us very encouraging feedback for going ahead
with our Miami project.” And he adds a surprising remark: “Our main interest is not a quick pecuniary advantage; we really are going to invest into this event the upcoming years in order
to organize and run a trade show that represents an ideal blend of local, regional and international exhibitors and attendees, and hosting as many transport modes as possible.”
So, it is not about the short-term success of an expanded TIACA, instead Mr Schoenberger aims at setting up a long-term and sustainable cooperation with the right partners at the right location
and providing greater insights into end-to-end logistics processes and solutions across all modes of transportation.
The Americas lack a good show, Mr Schoenberger says
According to him, there is nothing in America that is comparable to Messe Munich’s multimodal ACF plans. Of course, there are some trade fairs particularly in South America. However, in
comparison, Miami is a much safer place and easier to reach, located as it is at the crossroads of North and Latin America, he says.
Another appreciated attraction are the many bars and restaurants surrounding the Convention Center, ideally suited for networking activities following the closure of the show’s doors every
evening.
Furthermore, the industrial landscape in the USA, particularly the dense presence of producers and manufacturers based in the Southern States surrounding Florida, is of paramount importance for
the success of the multimodal Miami / TIACA project. This region has developed into a hot spot for large car manufacturers, countless local start-ups as well as aircraft manufacturer Airbus, and
offers superb air connectivity as well as dense hinterland traffic originating at neighboring seaports.
Mr Schoenberger and his team have to roll up their sleeves in the months ahead
There is still exactly one year left for the organizers to set the right course until the next TIACA event kicks off, to secure its successful start under changed conditions. For Mr. Schoenberger
and his sales division, this means a lot of knocking on doors to convince Messe Munich’s traditional clients such as DHL, DB Schenker, Hapag-Lloyd or DSV-Panalpina, to jump on the bandwagon and
book a stand at the upcoming Miami-held Transport Logistic Americas / TIACA ACF, running from 10-12 November, 2020.
Heiner Siegmund
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