MEGATRANS2018, the inaugural exhibition for the supply chain trade, will take place at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 10-12 May. Show Director Simon Coburn spoke to AMT Magazine about who will be attending the expo and what they can expect to see.
The movement of goods from A to B may seem a simple process on paper for the average consumer. But it has taken years of development, progress and innovation to reach this level of streamlining, and that process is only becoming faster and more efficient.
For the industrial supply chain, this can be an intricate process, involving a variety of stakeholders with countless variables to consider along the way when moving goods from one place to another. Road, rail, air and sea transport, warehousing, packaging services – there are many different facets involved in the process and adding value to every step of the supply chain.
Giving the freight and logistics providers, and their customers – manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers – the opportunity to see the businesses, technology and innovation leading the cutting edge of progress within the Australian and international supply chain firsthand is one way to help the industry grow and reach a new level of supply chain safety, connectivity and efficiency.
The future of supply chain and logistics
MEGATRANS2018, a new multimodal supply chain trade expo, aims to provide this unique platform and bring industry together under one roof. The event, delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, is designed to bring together those who plan, implement and control the efficient and effective forward flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and point of consumption.
In the grand scheme of things, this supply chain covers all facets of Australia’s industrial transport and logistics sectors. These specific industries comprise the main features of the trade show, which makes its debut 10 to 12 May this year at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, based in the heart of the world’s most liveable city – Melbourne.
But just who will be attending the trade expo? MEGATRANS2018 Show Director Simon Coburn talks about who will be making their way to Melbourne for the major industry event.
“MEGATRANS2018 is poised to be the biggest supply chain and logistics trade event in Australia and the southern hemisphere,” he says. “By spreading the expo across all 30,000sqm of exhibition space at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, we’re trying to include every business, service provider and leader within the supply chain.
“From warehousing to road transport, infrastructure, telematics businesses, manufacturing companies and packaging specialists – the show is including everything and everyone involved in the movement of goods from one place to another, with significant focus on the technology driving this process.”
The show is designed around the needs of the logistics firms, freight companies and various technology innovators and service providers involved in the supply chain. Those coming to the event will be the manufacturers, retailers and third and fourth-party logistics providers (3PLs and 4PLs) utilising the supply chain and looking for new ways to increase efficiency and security in the movement of goods.
“Those who need to move goods by sea, air, rail or road are those who will benefit the most from hearing about the latest in telematics, data optimisation, freight forwarding, Industry 4.0 and future developments in the industry,” says Coburn. “Those are the people – the business leaders and decision makers – who will be making their way to Melbourne for the show, and we can’t wait to hear about all of the successful partnerships, business meetings and engagement coming off the back of this event.”
Bringing industry together
Many major industry conferences and events are being held in conjunction with the show and are aimed at drawing even more national and international leaders from across different facets of the supply chain.
MEGATRANS2018 brings together a variety of international and domestic conferences, including the Australian Logistics Council’s (ALC) inaugural Supply Chain Technology Summit 2018, the Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association (ARTSA) Global Leaders’ Summit, the Logistics & Materials Handling Mercury Awards, a Ministerial Breakfast delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, Transport Certification Australia’s (TCA) Technology Hub, and the 2018 Global Shippers Forum (GSF) Conference.
The ALC Supply Chain Technology Summit, for instance, will gather key industry leaders and businesses, taking place on 10 May onsite in partnership with MEGATRANS2018.
“Technology is a major component of the logistics supply chain and will play a dominant role in the exhibitions at MEGATRANS2018,” said Michael Kilgariff, Managing Director at ALC. “The Supply Chain Technology Summit 2018 will align well with the technology theme and ensure that those who attend the integrated event can maximise their time and investment.
“The dedicated Supply Chain Technology Summit will focus on the policy priorities articulated by ALC in Freight Doesn’t Vote – our submission to the Inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities. This includes collecting greater data on freight movements, adapting to automated technologies and global labelling standards.”
Peter Hart, Chairman at ARTSA, says MEGATRANS2018 and the industry players it will draw are a good fit for his association’s annual summit: “We see this event as an opportunity to bring together international thought leaders in a world-class conference and exhibition hosted in Melbourne. ARTSA will be holding its 2018 Leaders Summit as part of the scheduled events, featuring industry authorities from around the globe debating the business models, systems and equipment that will continue to deliver for the customer.”
The GSF, likewise, will host its GSF2018 conference and AGM in Australia for the first time. The Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA), the peak body for Australia’s containerised exporters, will host the GSF2018 in co-ordination with the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), the Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and MEGATRANS2018.
Paul Zalai, Director and Founder at the FTA, the Secretariat for the APSA, says the GSF2018 is set to host policy makers and international trade practitioners from around the world – people whose decisions have a lasting effect on the way cargo is moved in Australia. As the event is run in conjunction with MEGATRANS2018, which covers all facets of the supply chain, Zalai says it will attract representatives from across the sector.
“It’s quite unique to have transport operators, freight forwarders, customs officials, cargo owners and policymakers all in the one room discussing logistics and trade issues,” he says.
GSF2018 takes place alongside MEGATRANS2018 and a range of other events either running concurrently with or book-ending the show. As a result, Coburn expects Melbourne will be the place to be for leaders and stakeholders in the global and national supply chain sectors come May.
“We envisage the week of MEGATRANS2018 will set a few milestones for the national and international supply chains,” he says. “With so many industry leaders and decision makers from around the globe heading to the events, I’m confident we’ll see some positive outcomes for the future of the industry.”
According to Coburn, as the borders between industries blur, new multi-dimensional concepts have to rise to the challenge and facilitate conversation between the key stakeholders in these areas, and MEGATRANS2018 is leading the way. A trade event with the same scope as MEGATRANS2018 hasn’t been done before in Australia, and it will be an exciting hub for representatives across the entire supply chain.
“We’re inviting everyone to be a part of this game-changing expo format and we anticipate that everybody, from hands-on decision makers in the supply chain and logistics industry to CEOs, COOs, regulatory bodies, urban planners and government on all levels, will be out in force,” he explains. “Watch this space for more developments – MEGATRANS2018 will facilitate the topics of discussion, networking and decisions around the future of Australia’s supply chain process.”