IELA REPORT-BACK

Building the future of exhibition logistics at the IELA 2023 Winter Seminar

All delegates valued the training event as a booster for professional knowledge and networking and appreciated being part of an association which actively invests in a bright future for the industry.

The eleventh edition of the IELA Winter Seminar, a 100 per cent funded event as part of IELA’s 2023 membership benefits programme, took place from 12-15 January 2023 at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The event offered 31 students a highquality educational programme focused on the daily responsibilities of exhibition freight forwarders and on-site operations businesses.

Under the motto ‘Building the Future’ and based on three event pillars: Connect, Learn and Succeed, the 2023 programme at this training event for young adults and newcomers clearly profited from the strength of IELA’s history and many years of extensive experience. The attendees learned why IELA plays an important role in the industry as well as why currently the association is a trusted brand, recognised by the entire exhibition and event industry.

Maximiliano Rosado Suárez, project manager with RESA Expo Logistics, Spain and winner of the second place Best Student, said after the event: “For me to be part of the IELA family is now getting full sense and has a special meaning. During this IELA Winter Seminar I was able to identify fully with the meaning of IELA family membership. Working closely with all the people I had the opportunity to meet from all over the world is something that has no price. On the professional side, I collected new valuable knowledge due to the expertise of members who shared with us their amazing expert experience.”

The IELA Education & Training Working Group, organiser of the event, invited thirteen expert speakers (internal and local speakers) to share their work life experience, focusing on strategy, best practices and trends in the exhibition logistics industry. The programme shared knowledge on topics around export, domestic and onsite agent work, tariffs calculation and customs procedures. It also included key elements like packaging, insurance, shipping of dangerous goods, sustainability and occupational health and safety.

Due to the event taking place in South Africa, a special session on ‘How to do Exhibition Business in South Africa’ was given by local IELA Member, Jacqui Nel, with EF-GSM South Africa and two local external speakers who were also invited.

Nathan Christians, the founder and director of NC Surveyors offering marine and insurance support solutions to local and international companies, highlighted the value of such training events, saying that it is important to always be prepared, keeping oneself updated with new training information and legislation.

Gary Walsh, founder of Garship Marine Surveying and Consultancy and also from Cape Town, talked about the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, and also highlighted the importance of basic training on certain rules and regulations, especially when it comes to moving hazardous cargo.

The more than 10 hours of instruction concluded with group breakout sessions and the groups’ presentations. Lastly, an individual final exam which confirmed the value of the knowledge shared and the high level of performance of the students.

Our congratulations go to the best students, with ex-aequo winners receiving first and third place:

Best Student first place:

• Livia Zünd with SWISS EXPO LOGISTICS LTD., Switzerland

• Pruthvish Thaker with Siddhartha Logistics Company Pvt. Ltd., India

Best Student second place:

• Maximiliano Rosado Suárez with RESA EXPO LOGISTICS, Spain

Best Student third place:

• Carolina Díaz with Rock-It Global Mexico

• Monelisi Gaji with EF-GSM South Africa

The Best Student first place, as always, has been rewarded with a free registration for the association’s annual congress and Partnering Event, and for the second time in the association’s history, IELA will welcome and hand over the reward to both Best Students first place winners.

“The IELA Winter Seminar 2023 in Cape Town was a great opportunity to improve my knowledge about exhibition logistics and trade show events. Networking within the IELA association was another great benefit. We, as students, were able to learn from the mentors, speakers, and also from each other. Being a member of IELA is a valuable advantage — professionally, but also personally,” highlighted Livia Zünd, project manager at Swiss Expo Logistics Ltd and one of the winners of the Best Student first place.

“IELA created a truly enriching and enjoyable experience. The seminar was expertly organised and provided a wealth of knowledge and fun. I am grateful to Siddhartha Logistics for providing me with the opportunity to attend, to meet new partners and become a part of Group 5, which was awarded the best group award,” said Pruthvish Thaker, with Siddhartha Logistics FTWZ Pvt. Ltd., India, when talking about his participation at the event.

Another proud moment of the event was the announcement of the Best Team: Group 5, mentored by Chandra Ganesh with Felix Expo Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd, Malaysia:

• Naomi Bik with Valverde BV, The Netherland

• Celine Choi with Korea GLS, Inc., Korea

• Serge Rahal with BCC Logistics, Lebanon

• Pruthvish Thaker with Siddhartha Logistics Co. Pvt. Ltd., India

• Szymon Wałczyk with Universal Express Sp. z.o.o., Poland

• Livia Zünd with SWISS EXPO LOGISTICS LTD, Switzerland

Due to having highly motivated attendees during the sessions, the IELA Education & Training Programme Working Group chairperson Sudhir Dhavan, confirmed: “We have appealed to all the students to be a part of our Working Groups which will keep them actively engaged in the activities of IELA throughout the year and will similarly help them to gain more knowledge on a wider scale.”

Irene Costa, editor of Business Event Africa and guest media of the event, commented in an interview with IELA that the event industry in South Africa is seeing a lot more collaboration than before, with other African countries and that the whole event industry is making sure that inclusivity is taken into account. She also confirmed that sustainability is one of the core themes for the year, with most of the companies in the sector best performing.

As organiser of this event, IELA congratulates the event venue, Century City Conference Centre. The managing and executive teams were a great support throughout the organisation of the event, looking at every detail to make the event even more successful. The venue is a true demonstration of best performance in terms of sustainability.

The IELA Winter Seminar is one of the two training events organised by IELA, as the association also offers training for more experienced staff: the IELA Operations Summit, of which the upcoming edition will take place in February 2024.

The association thanks all speakers for making this event possible

• History of IELA , by Sandi Trotter, IELA Chairperson and Director Business Development TWI Group, Inc., Canada.

• The Forwarder is your Friend , by Sudhir Dhavan, IELA Board Member and CEO R.E. Rogers India Pvt. Ltd., India.

• Domestic & Onsite Agent , by Jasmine Yang, IELA Board Member and Manager of Fairs & Events Department Eurotran Expo Service Co., Ltd., Taiwan.

• Export Agent , by Alexandra Erdmann, IELA Board Member and CEO SWISS EXPO LOGISTICS LTD, Switzerland.

• How to do Exhibition Business in South Africa , by Jacqui Nel, Director of EF-GSM South-Africa, IELA member from South Africa.

• Packaging , by Lucien Lawson, IELA Board Member and Director Clamageran Foirexpo, France, with the collaboration of Orphee M. Beinoglou Jr., IELA Board Member and Member of the Board of Orphee Beinoglou International Forwarder S.A., Greece.

• Insurance , by Nathan Christians, NC Surveyors (Pty) Ltd., South Africa.

• IELA Standards of Performance , by David Palomo, IELA Board Member and Operations

Manager Suomen Messulogistikka Oy, Finland.

• Tariffs & Calculations , by Ujjwal Gupta, Member of the ETWG and International Sales and BD BIG Logistics India Pvt Ltd & Rajath Naik, Member of the ETWG and Dy. General Manager — Operations & Sales R.E. Rogers India Pvt. Ltd.

• Customs procedures, formalities & documents , by Alessandra Dellavedova, Member of the ETWG and Import Project Manager Expotrans S.p.A. Italy.

• The International Maritime Dangerous Good (IMDG) Code by Gary Walsh, Master Mariner at Garship, Marine Surveying & Consultancy.

• Sustainability , by Lucien Lawson, IELA Board Member and Director Clamageran Foirexpo, France, with the collaboration of Orphee M. Beinoglou Jr., IELA Board Member and Member of the Board of Orphee Beinoglou International Forwarder S.A., Greece.

• Health & Safety , by Daniel Mithran, IELA Board Member and Director JIM Project & Expo Logistics (M) Sdn.Bhd, Malaysia.

• The 10 Minutes that change everything , by Alexandra Erdmann, David Palomo, Lucien Lawson, and Sandi Trotter.

IELA also thanks the event Sponsors, Hosts and Supporters

Sponsors

• Fulstandig Shows e Eventos MC Ltda

• Orphee Beinoglou International Forwarders S.A.

• R.E. Rogers India Pvt. Ltd., India

• SWISS EXPO LOGISTICS LTD, Switzerland

• TWI Group Inc. (USA)

• Valverde B.V.

• WEL World Exhibition Logistics

Hosts

• EF-GSM South Africa

• Katlego Global Logistics Pty Ltd

• LA Rouxnelle Logistics and Consulting

Supporters (volunteer speakers)

• BIG Logistics India Pvt Ltd

• Clamageran Foirexpo, France

• EF-GSM South Africa

• Eurotran Expo Service Co., Ltd., Taiwan

• Expotrans S.p.A.

• JIM Project & Expo Logistics (M) Sdn.Bhd, Malaysia

• Orphee Beinoglou International Forwarder S.A.

• R.E. Rogers India Pte. Ltd., India

• Suomen Messulogistikka Oy, Finland

• SWISS EXPO LOGISTICS LTD, Switzerland

• TWI Group, Inc., Canada

About the IELA Winter Seminar

IELA’s biennial members only education and networking event gave young professionals and industry newcomers the opportunity to join an exclusive programme dedicated to the complex issues and procedures of our industry.

About the IELA Education and Training Programme Working Group

The WG is chaired by Sudhir Dhavan, CEO R.E. Rogers India Pvt. Ltd. & IELA Board Member, with the support of two vice-chairs, Ute Wiezorrek, General Manager Cretschmar MesseCargo GmbH, Germany, and Alessandra Dellavedova, Import Project Manager Expotrans S.p.A., Italy.

The mission of the ETWG is to research and develop educational avenues for the association and its members. It organises two biennial training events, the WINTER SEMINAR, targeting new staff and newcomers to the exhibition logistics industry to boost quality and know-how within the industry, and the OPERATIONS SUMMIT, the only dedicated forum for exhibition and event freight forwarding operation professionals, offering valuable perspectives on improving operational efficiencies, enhancing service standards, optimising worldwide relationships and increasing bottom lines. Both events provide a platform for students to interact with their peers from around the world and share their exhibition and event experiences and knowledge.

Event webpage

https://www.iela.org/events/winterseminar/2023-cape-town.html