The international logistics community will be gathering for the 56th occasion of the FIATA World Congress, to be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 4-8 this year.
Hosting this prestigious event is the Federation of Malaysian Freight Forwarders (FMFF), the national association which represents the logistics industry in the country, and actively supported and endorsed by Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport (MOT).
The FIATA World Congress is one of the largest and most important events in the world logistics industry calendar. For over five decades, it has successfully provided a platform for key movers and shakers to share information and network with their fellow-industry players amidst a background of fast-changing global trends and practices.
The theme of this year’s congress is “Logistics Bridging Global Trade,” relevant in today’s economic climate, where the industry is required to facilitate the super-efficient movement of goods across international boundaries. The recent ratification of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in February 2017 will also serve to further boost global commerce and multilateral trading, and highlight the importance of logistics as a significant enabler of trade.
“This is the first time that the congress will be held in Malaysia, and we are of course honoured and looking forward to welcoming our international speakers and delegates to the event,” said Alvin Chua, FMFF president.
“We have an excellent programme lined up, and a number of “heavyweight” speakers who will be sharing their expertise on current industry trends and issues from a global perspective,” he added.
“Malaysia is geographically located in a strategic position in the Southeast Asia region. We have two ports ranked 12th and 17th in the world’s top 20 container ports and an excellent transport infrastructure. With the ease of doing business in Malaysia, we are confident that the delegates to the FIATA World Congress 2017 will be pleasantly surprised at what the logistics industry in Malaysia can offer.”
“We believe participation at the FIATA World Congress 2017 event will benefit all industry players in Malaysia and the region, both in terms of learnings and networking potential,” he said.
Malaysia is the 26th trading nation in the world and the impending establishment of RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) between Asean + 6 will draw increasing attention to Malaysia in terms of logistics capabilities. Asean trade comprises 25% of its total trade, while China is the top trading partner of Malaysia, with trade with India showing significant gains year on year.
The logistics industry has gained global recognition as being crucial to the stimulation of trade, business efficiency and economic growth, a “core pillar” in the economies of the world. With the advent of digital platforms, rising competition and increasing customer expectations, many challenges await industry players.
The FIATA World Congress 2017 is expected to be attended by over 1,000 delegates, which include high-profile industry personalities and decision makers, who drive change and innovation within their respective companies. Amongst topics covered will include the impact of technology on trade and logistics, gains from infrastructure investment, updates on an emergent Africa and logistics training for the “NextGen” of freight forwarders.
The five-day programme will include key messages from leaders of the industry, group sharing activities, regional focus groups, an exhibition and a specially-designed Young International Freight Forwarders (YIFF) activity on the sidelines.
