Tag: Membership

President’s Letter: May, 2016.

Posted on | by Brian Bartolotta, President

Spring appears to be well on its way without stopping, finally. Trees are turning green, my local home improvement store is selling plants and flowers and despite some of the really cold and nasty weather of this past week (how do you go from 80 on Monday to 40 on Tuesday?), we've got warm things to look forward to. Warmer weather makes me think of getting back out on the links, and what better way to start talking about it than to remind everybody of the...

IACAC Golf Outing

We keep talking about it because it is important for two reasons. First, it is one of the most well-attended golf outings in the Chicago logistics industry. Second, it is a great chance for companies and brands to sponsor a hole or some part of the event and to contribute prizes to our luncheon raffle. The reason it is important is because proceeds from this event directly benefit our IACAC Scholarship. Last year we gave financial awards to three very worthy students and we hope to have the opportunity to equal that feat this year as well.

Registration will be opening in May for the event, but visit the event page for more information and to download a flier for information on being an IACAC Golf Outing sponsor.

Membership

One of my reasons for seeking the Presidency of this great organization was to increase its membership. I firmly believe that when you've been in business for sixty years, especially in an industry like air cargo, you've done something right. It is our responsibility to continue to grow this industry for the next generation of people who are looking to make a career of logistics. I am out speaking with my clients and my fellow board members are doing the same. Our goal is to increase membership in this organization and continuing to demonstrate the value and benefits of membership. For more information about joining IACAC, check out our membership page.

AirCargo 2016, June 8 - 10 in Phoenix.

We are not an industry that operates alone or without others. The success of air forwarders depends upon everyone up and down the air cargo supply chain, including airlines, ground handlers, truckers and others. These groups all come together at the annual AirCargo conference. This is the first year the conference is being held later in the year, and they're in early June at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix. The keynote speaker this year is Ray Thurston, who took a small company called SonicAir Couriers and became chairman of what is today UPS Supply Chain Solutions.

You missed your chance at the early bird, but it is still affordable to attend, exhibit or sponsor. For more information visit their website and sign up today.

 

President’s letter, July 2014

Posted on | by Brian Bartolotta, President

Welcome to July everyone, and I hope that last night's storms only caused people lost power but no damage to their property or injuries to themselves or family.

A man looks holiday fireworksAs we get ready to head into the Independence Day weekend, this is the month where IACAC has no structured activities taking place (i.e. our regular monthly luncheon).  Tonight is our monthly board meeting at Basic Enterprises which starts at 6, and if any members wish to attend, those meetings are open to your observation.  Just let us know you're coming and we are glad to have an audience.  Be careful, you might find yourself dragged in as a volunteer for an upcoming event, such as...

The 2014 IACAC Golf Outing

It is being held next month at the Bridges of Hoffman Estates on August 12th.  Registration is open for singles ($125), foursomes ($400 or lunch guests ($35).  We have also started to receive sponsorships and you will start to see the names of those companies in the advertising we do for the event.  If you can't wait until August 12th to get a course tune-up, then may I suggest the Chicago Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association) who are holding their annual outing on the same course next week.  You can visit their site here for more details.

Sponsorship for the IACAC outing can be had for as little as $100 for a hole sponsorship which includes a sign with your logo on the tee box.  Talk to Jim Wilbrandt, our Golf Committee chair, for the primo sponsorships on the holes where golfers will back up (hint:  the par 3's are a GREAT value for your dollars!).

Dennis J. Speck Scholarship Accepting Applications Through July 25th.

Funded through the generosity of our members and guests at events such as our golf outing, monthly luncheons and annual holiday luncheon in December, the Dennis J. Speck Scholarship Fund is named for a man who gave more than two decades of service to this Association and held every position on the board.  Open to family members of individual or corporate member firms, this year's topic is "How will technology change the future of air cargo?"  You can read more at the page here on the site including additional details for eligibility and download an application.

Final call for outstanding dues.

I respect that we all get busy in our jobs.  The IACAC is a volunteer organization that is funded by the dues of our members and sponsorship opportunities online and in our monthly Pallet.  When we transitioned to this new site, we gave login credentials to everyone who were members last year.  Some of those membership are still unpaid, and tireless board member Maureen Schmitt has been working to contact people personally to get them paid or we will remove their access.

Thanks everyone and have a happy and safe Fourth.  And to our friends north of the border today...Happy Canada Day!

 

 

 

AfA reports surge in membership

Posted on | by Scott Case

Brandon Fried of the Airforwarders Association is an annual guest at our luncheon meetings and does a tremendous job summarizing what is happening in Washington, DC, that impacts the air freight industry.

Over the course of the last year they have worked very hard to bolster their membership and this press release supports their success.  We're proud partners with AfA in representing IACAC's interests nationally and Brandon is always a resource that we're able to draw on when needed.

(WASHINGTON) - The growth in the number of freight forwarding companies joining the Airforwarders Association (AfA) has reached unprecedented levels, with the organization's regular membership rolls expanding by nearly 25 percent over the past year, the AfA announced today.

 

More than half of the increase in the association's regular membership - which is comprised of freight forwarding companies that focus on air cargo - has come in just the past few weeks. The AfA now represents 230 such enterprises in addition to more than 120 other businesses and organizations, including major airlines, that work with or serve freight forwarding operations.

 

"As they contemplate increased business in an improving economy, forwarders are likely realizing that the regulatory framework for air freight and other commonly used modes is now more extensive and complex than ever. So they want to make certain their voice is heard in Washington and that they have a way to keep current on regulatory and industry developments," said Brandon Fried, the AfA's Executive Director.

 

As an alliance of indirect air carriers, airlines, truckers and affiliated businesses located throughout the global transportation community, the AfA currently represents companies ranging from small businesses with fewer than 20 employees to large global enterprises employing thousands of people, as well as business models varying from domestic to worldwide logistics operations.

 

Fried pointed out that that much of the cargo handled by the nation's air freight forwarders is transferred across two or more modes of transportation between shipper and receiver.  Accordingly, he said, the AfA has become increasingly active in legislative initiatives and regulatory issues that are present across the broad range of transportation modes, including trucking, shipping and railroads as well as air freight.

 

The association also represents air freight forwarders across more than a dozen government advisory boards and industry councils, including the Department of Homeland Security Aviation Advisory Committee and its Critical Infrastructure Protection Air Cargo Security Working Group, the Transportation Security

Administration Aviation Security Advisory Committee and the TSA Known Shipper Users Group, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commercial Operations Advisory Committee, the Department of Commerce Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness and the US Chamber of Commerce Global Supply Chain Security Group.