Smiling faces going places…Folks likely to be seen at WCS, pictured above at the IATA Los Angeles exhibit in 2014, which was staffed by American Airlines Cargo.

     Let’s face it—there are plenty of places in the world holding cargo events in 2016 where you can take your hard-earned money.
      But keeping it in your own backyard might be a better idea, if showing up at JFK, LHR, DXB, FRA, LAX, MIA, ATL, or any of the dozens of other gateways is local to you. They all feature lively and effective air cargo organizations that meet monthly and have done great things to build our industry for years.
     That said, here is an early look an event scheduled for March that stands out from the onslaught of trade shows conducted by those looking to fatten their coffers—we are all familiar with the sales pitches driven by endless emails and phone blitz campaigns.
     The IATA 10th World Cargo Symposium kicks off the New Year in Berlin from March 15-17.
     “The World Cargo Symposium (WCS) is the largest and most prestigious annual event of its kind and the only one to bring together key stakeholders from the entire air cargo supply chain,” proclaims IATA on their website.
     Well, actually, WCS is an outgrowth of a mandated annual meeting, headed up by what appears to be a revolving door of top IATA cargo executives that seem to be following rather than leading industry trends.
     But that’s okay, because there are plenty of smart people in air cargo and familiarizing ourselves with each other is the main driver to progress in air cargo, despite what anybody tells us.
     At WCS there are halls filled with top airline cargo executives running to and from meetings or to “members only events.”
     Every WCS is punctuated by dozens of concurrent sessions that we think are better comprehended by reading the meeting transcripts, which will eventually be available on your computer.
     Trying to decide which meeting to attend when several are held concurrently can be maddening, without even factoring in the jet-lag.
     There are a few displays in the exhibit halls that are good gathering points for a coffee or a beer, and one big, all-in general meeting featuring either a mega cargo star like Fred Smith and or a motivational speaker.
     There are also a few social events where you might get lucky and button- hole someone that you need to ask for mercy.
     The Berlin location for this 2016 edition of WCS is interesting.
     Maybe someone can explain why BER is years late, wildly over budget, and still underutilized?
     Also, regretfully, we must—as a defensive measure—consider flying to BER or TXL on any airline except Lufthansa, because for the past few years at least, they seem to always be on strike.

When:         March 15-17, 2016
Where:        Berlin, Germany
Venue:         Intercontinental Hotel
Contact:       http://www.iata.org/events/pages/index.aspx

Geoffrey