Brittin ACF Seoul Man

Flying Typers caught up with TIACA Secretary General Doug Brittin as the 27th International Air Cargo Forum and Exhibition takes off this week in Seoul, South Korea, October 7-9.
Mr. Britton was bullish about air markets and regarding delegates’ experiences at ACF 2014.

FlyingTypers:  How would you describe air cargo markets this year—are you optimistic that recent signs of recovery are here to stay?
Brittin:  The International Monetary Fund forecasts global GDP growth of 3.6 percent in 2014—up from 2.9 percent in 2013—so the signs so far are positive. Let’s hope that a good part of this also translates into steady growth in our industry.

FlyingTypers:  It has been quite a long downturn for air freight, irrespective of the more general economic growth stats. Do you think the industry can emerge stronger and/or more efficient from this painful period?
Brittin:  An economic downturn often acts as a great catalyst for businesses. They have to become faster and sharper at finding efficiencies; they have to look for new solutions to maintain their share of a declining market; and they have to stay very close to their customers. More often than not, they emerge from this period stronger and more innovative than before. That’s exactly what I expect to see happen to the air cargo industry as we work together for a brighter future.

FlyingTypers:  How are supply chain planning strategies—such as near-shoring, new technological trends such as the ‘miniaturization’ of cargo, and the use of Cloud IT systems and 3D Technology—affecting your long-term view of air freight demand on the key lanes to Europe, and U.S. from Asia?
Brittin:  Modal shift as well as miniaturization and on- and near-shoring are all issues for our industry, but trends come in cycles and also move on. The push before smartphones appeared was for increasingly small devices. Now the latest iPhone is bigger than the model before. The speed of product development means that there are peak demands as soon as a new piece of technology is launched.
     3D printing is here already, but most people don’t see it as a threat yet. It may change the demand for air cargo in the long term, but it will take time. What is important is that we work together as an industry to deliver an efficient service and reduced transit times. Collaboration has never been more important and the ACF is a strong platform for us to develop new ways to work together.

FlyingTypers:  Why was Seoul in South Korea chosen to host ACF 2014?
Brittin:  TIACA events take place all over the world, reflecting the global nature of the organization.      Boeing’s Air Cargo Forecast shows Asia has the largest share of the market in total freight traffic and will continue to lead industry growth through to 2034. Our hosts, Seoul’s Incheon Airport, are the world’s fifth largest by cargo volume and they are planning some interesting expansion as well as pioneering e-freight ideas.

FlyingTypers:  What is the process TIACA employs to make the final decision on location?
Brittin:  The ACF site selection process starts four years out from a show, with a delegation of the Board evaluating offers from airports or airlines proposing to host. These are evaluated according to a fixed set of criteria such as reachability, available exhibition and conference facilities, hotels etc.
     After pre-selection, the committee visits the potential host country and the facilities are inspected on site using the same criteria. The host and local industry’s commitment to support the forum is important. Once a cost picture is established, the Events Committee makes a recommendation to the entire Board, who take the final decision.
     The process starts four years out to ensure we have a good selection when booking the space. For this ACF, the site visit took place in October 2009 and the decision was taken early in 2010.
     Seoul offered a comprehensive package including strong support from major Korean Shippers, whose CEOs were all present and met with the selection committee. Incheon set up a committee in collaboration with the government, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the Korean International Freight Forwarders Association (KIFFA), and the Korea Integrated Logistics Association to prepare for ACF.

FlyingTypers:  What are some of the highlights of ACF 2014?
Brittin:  This ACF promises to be our most comprehensive yet. Keynote addresses by ICAO Secretary General Raymond Benjamin, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) US Department Homeland Security Administrator John S. Pistole will provide a full agenda, which will be followed by interactive workshops and panel discussions covering the important issues affecting us all. It is a unique opportunity to hear and learn from industry leaders as well as legislators from across the globe.
     We are also privileged to have fantastic support from our colleagues in Korea who will bring their insight into the Asian market and we will hear from Suh Seoung-Hwan, the Korean Minister of Land Infrastructure and Transport.

FlyingTypers:  What else is happening at ACF 2014?
Brittin:  TIACA is committed to finding, nurturing, and developing the next generation of industry leaders and we know it is key for our members to identify and recruit talent. The ACF will jointly host the Future Air Cargo Executive Summit (FACES) with IATA, which was developed to provide aspiring air cargo leaders with the opportunity to grow professionally and give industry leaders the chance to foster the leadership needed to succeed in the 21st century and beyond. The scheme sits perfectly with TIACA’s Professional Development Workshop initiative launched this year. It’s another exciting reason to visit ACF.

FlyingTypers:  Are you expecting any major decision or announcements at the show that will affect air cargo stakeholders?
Brittin:  We expect visitors will seize the opportunity to network and find new business opportunities—networking is a cornerstone of our TIACA mission. There will also be addresses by key regulators on real time issues. The workshops are deliberatively interactive, involving industry leaders and regulators so that we can tangibly move the debate on. TIACA will also be hosting a press conference.

FlyingTypers:  Can you give any insight into how many people are attending or exhibiting, and how this compares to the 26th ACF? For example, are you expecting a lot of walk-in visitors?
Brittin:  Moving the ACF around the globe means that each event is unique and benefits from a strong representation of visitors from the host community. We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of our colleagues at the show next month—just as we did in Atlanta—including many from the Korean shipper community. And we have over 150 exhibitors attending to make the most of this opportunity.
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