Press release

The European Shippers' Council will hold its fifth annual conference on transport and logistics on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th October 2000 at the Rotterdam Hilton Hotel, in the Netherlands.

This year's ESC Shippers Conference deals with new or future trends in the freight transport market. The success of any business rests ultimately on anticipating and managing change. The first part of the programme therefore concentrates on the fast developing world of freight exchanges and the role that information technology will play in customer-supplier relationships. As in previous years ESC has compiled a top team of speakers at the leading edge of these developments including Andy Roberts, Business Innovation Services Executive of IBM, David Aldred, Vice President, Deputy Head of Sales, Deutsche Bank AG London, Alastair Harris, Chief Executive of Bolero and George Hazle, Commercial Director, Exchanges for Freight.

The key theme of the second part of the programme is better service performance and enhanced efficiency in transport through best practice and performance indicators. This is a matter of special importance to shippers and policy regulators as they seek solutions facing all those engaged in transport, whether a shipper or a carrier. Many transport policy decision-makers now recognise that improved overall performance in the supply and logistics chain can make a significant impact on the choices and decisions made by shippers, and the vital contribution this plays in improving the performance and quality of transport services. The ESC has been at the forefront of developments to promote best practice and service performance indicators.

The ESC 2000 Conference will provide practical examples on the results achieved in certain modes of transport. The conference will point to new projects underway to provide practical tools for all in the transport and logistics supply chain to improve their performance and for supply chain managers to exercise a more informed choice in their selection of transport mode and carrier. Speakers include Robert Arendal, President of RA Associates, Kerstin Sterner, Principle Adviser of the Transport Directorate of the European Commission, Michel Abgrall-Lévy of Schneider, Martine Lamandé, Director Industry Affairs of Air France Cargo, Olle Widigsson, Vice President Supply System Design of Stora Enso and Ger Nieuwpoort, Head Maritime Transport of the Dutch Ministry of Transport.

The ESC Shipper Conference provides delegates with a unique opportunity to take part in a forum where transport users and providers can meet to discuss their common future. The Shipper Conference is expected to attract over 250 leading decision makers responsible for the procurement and movement of freight throughout and to and from Europe. They include: shippers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, railways, intermodal operators, airlines, road hauliers, logistics companies and EU officials responsible for the development of transport policy.

The ESC Annual Conference was established in 1996. Since this first inaugural conference, the conference has become one of the leading annual industry events. A guided port tour followed by a buffet gala dinner on a paddle steamer will take place after the first day's proceedings sponsored by the Port of Rotterdam.

Further details of the Conference are available here.

For further information contact: Nicolette van der Jagt, Secretary General of the ESC - Brussels 00 322 230 2113