As we enter the final quarter of the year, we're all wondering what the peak will look like this year. There is, of course, the usual reliable shipments of new consumer electronics such as the latest offerings from Apple and other tech companies, the holiday toys that make an impact and the exponential year-on-year increases in eCommerce packages that are changing the composition of forwarders consolidations.
Here in Chicago, with the announcement that Mayor Emanuel will not seek re-election, we wonder what things will look like over at the Department of Aviation and whether or not there will be turnover in leadership and what that means for cargo and cargo development.
What we do know is that we will work closely with the city and our airline and ground handling partners to ensure that we have an open dialog for staffing and service and if issues arise, we've got someone to talk to and communicate to our members quickly and effectively.
September luncheon - Kyle Matousek
This one will be a treat. We are normally very focused on industry issues that sometimes we forget what is necessary for our businesses or for our own professional development. Kyle's experiences as a firefighter and in the military position him to talk about leadership from some fairly life-and-death positions. While those who haven't faced that kind of danger cavalierly throw around the term "I nearly died because of 'x'," in Kyle's case this is the literal truth. Register for the event here.
September networking - Oktoberfest!
With thanks to DHL Aviation, AOT Group, Tax Air and TransChicago National Lease, we're going to have a great time on Thursday, September 13th at Church Street Brewing in Itasca. We've got a pretzel truck, we've got Oktoberfest beer and we've got a great night with friends and colleagues. Free for members - $25.00 for non-members. We'll be offering memberships for 2019 that includes the balance of 2018 - so don't miss a chance to get some value for dollar. Register here.
October luncheon - Brandon Fried
With a pretty key election coming up in November, Brandon's insight sitting just a block and a half away from the White House and the Capitol are always welcome. There are still important things happening in regulatory agencies such as ACAS and the FMCSA taking a look at the Hours of Service issue. Brandon's insight will be welcome and note that he'll be at the Chicago Department of Aviation's facility. Registration is open - click here to get registered now.
Visiting London and Brussels this month
This month I will be traveling to both London and Brussels over the course of a week. In the UK I will be meeting with representatives of BIFA, the British International Forwarders Association. My plan is to talk Brexit, a third runway at Heathrow and how they deal with congestion owing to very tight real estate and ground handling challenges. I hope to meet with a representative of London Airports as well. Across the channel, I'll be meeting with Steve Polmans, head of cargo at Brussels Airport and getting a tour and understanding of a Cargo Community they've created called Brucloud. I hope to speak to several global ground handlers who are in both Brussels and Chicago to find out how they manage and interface with their local air cargo communities to improve productivity and communication. Watch for some trip reports from the road.