Comments by David Cohen – Recruitment Consultant – Shipping, Logistics & Supply Chain at Alchemy
Can you describe Breakbulk in a ‘Containershell’?
My colleague Danielle Williams and I were delighted to attend Breakbulk Bremen this year. It was our first visit to this conference, and we are pleased to report it was well worth the journey. The Breakbulk event is a conference specifically organised for professionals within the breakbulk/project logistics sector to develop relationships and partnerships across the globe and to discuss the developments within the breakbulk industry – we enjoyed a highly rewarding visit.
Were there any hot topics?
A key focus of the conference was on how an established, longstanding (and some might say ‘traditional’) industry, such as breakbulk, can utilise data and technology advances to increase productivity. Hot topics of conversation included artificial intelligence, blockchain and automation as well as their abilities to make huge projects more time efficient. It is clear to see how a lot of freight forwarders and carriers will reap the benefits from investing money into digital systems that will allow them to simplify the processes involved in carrying out surveys, drawing up pricing quotations, making bookings and more – the industry seems ripe for technological disruption.
Were there good networking opportunities?
By the very nature of ‘shipping’ as a global business, professionals within this sector will sympathise that it is not always easy to meet with your clients/customers in person on a regular basis. Luckily, this conference provides the optimum environment to put faces to names and meet contacts both old and new in a location with excellent transport links. We had the pleasure to meet with new global business contacts and to assess their hiring needs worldwide, adding to Alchemy’s already impressive global network of clients. It was also fantastic to meet with familiar counterparts from organisations we already work with.
Comments by Danielle Williams – Client Solutions Executive – Shipping, Logistics & Supply Chain at Alchemy
Why did Alchemy attend?
My colleague David Cohen and I were both hugely excited to be given the opportunity to attend the Breakbulk conference. As a professional focused on providing client solutions with the sector, it was a valuable chance to engage with the wider community of shipping and logistics professionals and pick up on industry updates and topical discussions. I personally relished the time to build new and exciting connections that would in due course create opportunities for Alchemy to display our specialist skills in providing quality, experienced talent to the sector.
What did you think of the event?
We were both very impressed by how well organised the event was. Prior to arrival, we discovered an app that streamlined the entire conference experience; it gave us the ability to look up our clients, work out where they were located and who else would be attending the conference. In addition to this, via the app we received notifications to let us know of any social events and sponsored drinks we were also able to attend. We found this very helpful as it highlighted additional opportunities that we could use to network with clients during the evenings. The conference was well laid out and it was easy to find our way around, we easily found the reception to pick up our conference badges on day one – the signing in process was clear and seamless.
What have you gained from the event?
Having spoken to a broad array of industry contracts at the event I was pleased by the diversity of the peers present. The multicultural and multilingual nature of the event was both refreshing and enjoyable (I am now considering picking up an additional language). The opportunities to conduct business were numerous and the collaborative spirit of the event was extremely positive. It seemed that all parties were open to receiving new ideas from all quarters (industry colleagues and suppliers alike). Overall we had a wonderful time at the conference and have already begun reaping the rewards of business obtained there. This was an excellent event and comes highly recommended.
Written by David Cohen – Recruitment Consultant – Shipping, Logistics & Supply Chain and Danielle Williams – Client Solutions Executive – Shipping, Logistics and Supply Chain at Alchemy Global Talent Solutions.