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Vol. 7 No. 93 WE COVER THE WORLD Tuesday August 26, 2008  |
Money Talks At
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| “We have seen a drop off in advertising,”
one air cargo publisher told ACNFT. “So we have to figure out how to generate revenue from the same client base.” If that sounds like somebody operating a trade show, believe it. The hard truth about air cargo shows as Lucien noted and about air cargo awards as well, is that unless people in air cargo step up and get involved to try and make these initiatives mean something, air cargo will continue to pay more and get less. Absence of a willingness to speak to relevant issues at trade shows, chances are, that content will be the same old song and dance as well. What is needed are some smart people to insist that big air cargo events deliver some electricity to the cargo mainstream rather than a bunch of disjointed company advertorials. Fair is fair when it comes to a sales pitch at a formal meal, especially because the speaker or company is usually underwriting the event. But it’s those sessions going on all day at trade shows that for the most part are one big, fat waste of time. Most trade shows have panel sessions that appear as if they were put together out of fear. One of the major problems about discussion panels is that there are not too many executives in air cargo that are willing to say much. Also, as you are getting paid from someone to build a product, you must do all necessary to advance that interest. But right now in every corner of the world, air cargo has changed as never before, more in fact during the past couple of years, than in the last seventy-five. |
| As
mentioned during late 2008 and early 2009 there will be at least a dozen
and half major air cargo trade shows held in various locations around the
world with discussion panels. Lately it has become fashionable to conduct a show in China or India or Dubai. But as important and dynamic as these locations are and will continue to be, who needs to rub elbows with the usual suspects and same people several times a year at different locations? One notable exception to all of this has been and continues to be The IATA World Cargo Symposium. Held for the past two years, first in Mexico City and last year in Rome and next year in Bangkok (March 2-6), WCS eschews all the baloney of big booths for attendance amongst the 1,000 or so most important air cargo people in the world. IATA’s CNS does about the same thing on a smaller scale each year in USA at its annual CNS Partnership Conference. It remains how CNS will fare now after CNS founding President Tony Calabrese retired, and Jens Tubbesing who replaced Tony also departed in a hurry earlier this summer. Whether that quick somewhat unexpected management change will impact the organization and its great work remains to be seen. One cannot dismiss that the CNS Partnership Conference probably also suffers because USA law enforcement can’t seem to wait to deliver another wet towel over any big air cargo gathering in the form of price fixing summonses. But “Partnership” is a great and needed gathering that has weathered almost everything and continues to grow. But some of the other conferences, especially the publication-owned and operated events with their ”awards” bashes really make you wonder. PT Barnum who organized The Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus in America dubbed, “The Greatest Show On Earth” once said: “No one ever lost money underestimating the taste of the public.” Air cargo can speak with money. Barnum also said: “Money talks.” Geoffrey |
