HOUSTON: The Port of Houston Authority has entered into a host port sponsorship agreement with the Journal of Commerce (JOC Group, Inc.), a subsidiary of IHS Maritime and Trade, for the 2016 Gulf Shipping Conference. With the Panama Canal expansion underway, regional U.S. ports from Tampa, Fla. to Brownsville, Texas are striving to meet the growing demands and challenges of the shipping and freight business. The inaugural event will take an in-depth look at Gulf Coast containerized imports and exports, trade movements and logistics realities.
The Port of Houston Authority has been working with JOC Group’s events division to develop the annual container-centric conference to be similar to the Trans-Pacific Maritime conference in Long Beach, Calif. The one and a half-day seminar will be held on June 13-14, 2016, at the Houston Magnolia Hotel, and will highlight the Gulf Coast and its strategic importance to beneficial cargo owners, shippers and carriers. Sessions will focus on opportunities, advantages and efficiencies for moving containerized cargoes to Houston and other Gulf Coast ports.
“We are excited to be a part of this upcoming trade conference with the Journal of Commerce. The Gulf Coast is an alternate transportation gateway option for many importers and exporters connecting major markets in the U.S. with all major trade lanes,” said Ricky Kunz, chief commercial officer for the Port of Houston Authority.
