Terminal operators across Europe came together to defy the economic crisis and show their commitment to the future development of the industry at the 33rd TOC Europe in Bremen last week. Efficiency and productivity were top of the agenda at this year’s conference which was attended by more than 300 high-calibre delegates. While the exhibition, which ran alongside the conference sessions, attracted senior level executives from across the globe, highlighting the event’s importance to the industry.   TOC Europe 2009 was kicked-off by Seaport Innovation’s Kent Busk and Edwin Dekker who held a highly-practical session that offered delegates suggestions on how their operations can be improved by analysing terminal KPIs. Following the well-attended session, Mr Busk and Mr Dekker offered terminal operators the chance to have their KPIs taken away for individual analysis.

The main conference programme began in earnest on Tuesday, 16 June, with a session devoted to the economy, during which, Ben Hackett, a Senior Advisor at IHS Global Insight, and Mark Page, Director – Liner Shipping at Drewry Shipping Consultants, aired their forecasts of when the industry would begin to show signs of growth. Other key areas of debate during the three-day long conference included terminal efficiency, new technologies and issues surrounding the supply chain. Of particular interest was the well-received maritime container supply chain session, on day one, in which Adam Rashid, International Solutions Manager of Sony Supply Chain Solutions, shared his views on managing today’s economic challenges and the opportunities for the future.

Alongside the conference, 130 companies exhibited at the three-day event, launching products, demonstrating new innovations and taking part in networking sessions. A number of new products were launched at TOC Europe 2009. Loxystem, was on hand to show visitors its innovative new twistlock system, The RAT, while LXE launched the new MX9 handheld computer, designed especially for use in harsh port environments. Other leading exhibitors in Bremen included Conductix Wampfler, Nexans, Fantuzzi Group, Cavotec MSL, ABB Cranes, Konecranes, Gottwald Port Technology and Liebherr.

For the first time at TOC Europe, a series of free workshops from leaders in the industry took place on the exhibition floor, allowing visitors and delegates alike to hear presentations on a range of topics covering automation, productivity and cost-efficiency. This new concept, first seen at the TOC Americas event, proved to be highly successful for the exhibitors that presented, while many attending visitors were able to source new products.

Matt Ramsey, Director of Business Development at APS Technology, held an informative workshop on process automation during the first day of TOC Europe. He commented: “The new workshops on the exhibition floor were a great addition to the 2009 event and they were all extremely well attended. Following our workshop presentation on the first day, we had several new visitors to our stand which was hugely encouraging.”

Paul Holloway, Event Director of TOC Events Worldwide, added: “Now more than ever, it is has become paramount that the industry pulls together to tackle the issues of the economic downturn. The support that was shown at this year’s event highlighted that TOC Europe is the event that the industry’s leaders attend to develop strategic plans for the future.

“We place a huge emphasis on the editorial content of our conference ensuring that the topics covered by the programme are relevant and informative to the current situation. This year’s show was no different with the conference programme proving to be hugely popular. We attracted high-quality speakers and the economic and environmental issues discussed were relevant to all those in the industry. The strength of the TOC brand, its reputation for excellence and the high calibre of visitors naturally position it as an industry-leading offering for those serious about business development.”