IATA's Council Supply Chain Professionals annual conference highlights

THE annual conference for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' (CSCMP) at the IATA forum in Atlanta offered some edifying moments for the industry, and some lacklustre performances from industry experts.

The US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood was noted for his poor rapport in the opinion of Massachusetts' DC Velocity.

Mr LaHood's response during a Q&A session summed up his lack of direct involvement with the air cargo industry, and time to plan given his heavy workload, said the report, quoting him as saying: "I need an easier question, one I need to know the answer to."

In contrast Janet Kavinoky executive director of transportation infrastructure of the US Chamber of Commerce single-handedly ran a 90 minute session on the recently signed transportation bill which provoked strong audience participation, which was "rowdy" at times.

According to DC Velocity, Airforwarders Association executive director produced the comic moment describing himself as "a recovering airfreight forwarder."

This was set against Dutch-based CEVA Logistics chief executive officer John Pattullo describing the gloom of Europe in deep sales contractions for Italian retailers creating a southern Europe "more depressed than you can imagine," he said.

ProLogis senior vice-president Steven Callaway spoke of being one of the lucky ones during the European troubles given its area of property development allowing the company to avoid any fallout from the economic crisis, and the fact it doesn't serve Greece.