Vancouver Gets Its First Major Supply-Chain Conference

Cargo Logistics Canada Expo | BCBusiness
From January 29-30, 2014, the Vancouver Convention Centre will host a broad group of stakeholders from the Canadian supply-chain industry.

The organizers of Buildex Vancouver and Interior Design Show West bring the Canadian supply chain under one roof for the Cargo Logistics Canada Expo and Conference

Informa, the world’s largest publicly owned organizer of conferences and expos, adds another feather to its cap with the launch of the Cargo Logistics Canada Expo and Conference. The event takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre from January 29-30, 2014, and aims to bring together buyers and sellers in the supply-chain industry.

According to Informa show director David Tyldesley, the event’s origins are a combination of happenstance and market demand. “We literally looked out the window from our office on Georgia and Bute and watched the tankers sailing past and the container ships sailing past,” he says. “It occurred to us: ‘Who is doing a show for supply chain and freight and logistics in Canada?’ With a little bit of research we realized that nobody is really doing something. There are events, but they’re very fragmented and segmented.” With that epiphany, Informa decided to bring the entire supply chain under one roof.

Cargo Logistics is partnering with major associations to assemble what Tyldesley calls one of the broadest groups of stakeholders in Canadian supply chains: “We’re talking about cargo by air, sea, rail and road—the whole spectrum under one roof. Materials handling issues, distribution centre issues, marine shipping, air cargo, express shipping—all of those will be accommodated at the show.” He compares the event to Buildex Vancouver, having a similar conference program combined with a tradeshow floor.

The event will target both large-scale and independent companies. “The reality is that getting product from source to market is a major issue for all manufacturers and retailers,” says Tyldesley.

Part of accommodating myriad businesses is giving attendees flexibility, which is a key aspect of Cargo Logistics’ a la carte conference setup. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a “one size fits all” conference pass, attendees can pick and choose what they want to do. “It’s going to make it very accessible to the market,” adds Tyldesley.