2011 Breakbulk Americas Conference Sets Record For New Orleans Attendance

JOC Staff |
NEWARK, N.J., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM Global Trade's 22nd Annual Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference and Exhibition set a company record for New Orleans attendance recently with a strong turnout of 3,342 attendees and 238 exhibitors. The event was held Oct. 24-27, 2011 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

The conference program showcased industry leaders and noted analysts during four days of education sessions and conference panel discussions, which addressed the project cargo market outlook, carrier solvency, new Incoterms, modularization trends and controlling contract costs, among other issues facing the breakbulk and heavy-lift sectors.

Keynote Speaker Erik Petersen, Director of A.T. Kearney's Global Business Policy Council and Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, closed the second day with Strategic Narratives into the Future, a discussion of global crises and events that have increased the complexities of risk management. Peterson suggested food, water and energy shortages will pressure rapid technological innovation that may help solve these primary concerns for the planet in the near future.

In addition to the conference program and bustling exhibition hall, Breakbulk Americas 2011 hosted Breakbulk Education Day; the first annual Rickmers Golf Tournament, which raised $2,800 for the New Orleans Chapter of Habitat for Humanity; the Breakbulk Business Run, which brought together 40 runners for networking and charity; Project Professionals Group's project forwarder training and certificate program in project cargo management; and a heavy-lift technical workshop sponsored by Proven Logistics Solutions.

Breakbulk Americas is one of three major conferences and exhibitions organized annually by UBM Global Trade's Breakbulk division. The first Breakbulk China Transportation Conference and Exhibition is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 1, 2012 in Shanghai, an alternate event to the successful Breakbulk Asia Transportation Conference and Exhibition that has been held in Singapore for the past three years. Breakbulk Europe, the largest Breakbulk event to date, will be held May 22-24, 2012 at the Antwerp Expo, Belgium. Breakbulk Americas will return to Houston Oct. 9-11, 2012.

In addition to the trio of annual conferences and exhibitions, Breakbulk Events will premiere a trio of two-day congresses in 2012: Breakbulk South America in Rio de Janeiro in August 2012, Breakbulk India in Mumbai, India in November 2012, and Breakbulk Africa in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2012.

About Breakbulk
The Breakbulk (www.breakbulk.com) division of UBM Global Trade has been the most trusted source of intelligence for the breakbulk and project cargo industry since its first breakbulk conference in 1989. The Breakbulk division includes the bimonthly Breakbulk Magazine, three annual conferences, access to all business news articles, indices, archives and more on Breakbulk.com and the weekly e-newsletter, Breakbulk Newswire. Authoritative editorial content in the forms of daily news and in-depth analysis ensure Breakbulk members have the data and information necessary to understand the issues facing the breakbulk, heavy-lift and project cargo shipping sectors. For membership information visit www.breakbulk.com/membership.

About UBM Global Trade
UBM Global Trade is the leading provider of proprietary data, news, business intelligence and analytical content supporting commercial maritime, rail, trucking, warehousing and logistics industries worldwide. The company's portfolio of more than 100 online, print and interactive workflow business solutions includes The Journal of Commerce, Breakbulk, RailResource, PIERS and an array of international trade and transportation databases and directories. UBM Global Trade, a subsidiary of UBM plc, is headquartered in Newark, NJ, with offices throughout the United States. For more information, explore www.ubmglobaltrade.com or call 800-223-0243 (+1-973-848-7250 outside the U.S. or Canada).