Organisers of Logistics Symposium Upbeat

Key partners in the staging of the Logistics Symposium are upbeat and have high expectations for a successful, information-sharing event.

The symposium, slated for Saturday, July 23 at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters in Mona, St. Andrew, is expected to attract approximately 200 persons representing both the public and private sectors, including the thinkers, implementers, business strategists, companies and individuals who may wish to capitalise on the future growth of the global logistics industry.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank session on July 20, Vice-President, Cable & Wireless Business, Donovan White said that he expects a continued flow of information with small, medium and large enterprises and for them to understand the importance of the logistics hub initiative (LHI) to long-term microeconomic success.

“My expectation from the symposium is that people will come and walk away being a lot more aware…there is a lot that has gone on in the last year in terms of behind-the-scenes work (as part of the logistics hub initiative) and so, the more people come with an open mind and believing that there is a move to change our economic development in a positive way, then I believe people will leave feeling that we are on to something and that they need to get involved,” Mr. White expressed.

Deputy Executive Director and Lecturer, Operations Management at Mona School of Business & Management (MSBM), Dr. Lawrence Nicholson noted that the symposium is an important event that will engage key stakeholders, including Government and the business sector.

“We are expecting a full engagement from all of those involved in it (LHI) and in the end, those who will participate directly and those sitting and listening would walk away with a better understanding of what is happening, what the initiative is about, what is their role as an individual or as part of an organisation, and so eventually, the entire country would have an understanding of the full scope of the initiative,” Dr. Nicholson said.

Chairman of the Logistics Hub Initiative, Dr. Eric Deans explained that the symposium will look at what it means to become a logistics gateway and how Jamaican businesses can fit into a global marketplace.

“We would want to have more sharing of knowledge as to what is happening with the logistics hub…persons need to be aware of what is taking place within the region, what is happening in terms of goods moving through the region, investments taking place in other countries, various investment trends and countries positioning themselves to take advantage of these trends. So it is about breaking it down to the individual level to let persons understand how they can take advantage of these happenings,” Dr. Deans pointed out.

The day’s proceedings will begin with a plenary and opening ceremony featuring a presentation from the economic consulting firm Nathan Associates Inc., entitled ‘Master Plan and Industry Analysis for the Global Logistics Hub Initiative’. This session will provide an update on findings and state of developments relating to the global logistics hub initiative.

The sessions following will include panel discussions on three key areas within the global logistics industry: manufacturing, transportation and services.

The symposium is being staged by Mona School of Business & Management (MSBM), Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Jamaica Logistics Hub Taskforce, Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation, Port Authority of Jamaica and Caribbean

Maritime Institute in association with Cable & Wireless Business, Sutherland Global Services and the Shipping Association of Jamaica.