News Release
FOR RELEASE - January 29, 2020
Contact: Aaron Ellis, Public Affairs Director, aellis@aapa-ports.org
(703) 684-5700
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
 |
“Envisioning the New Decade” is the central theme around the 2020 Smart Ports seminar in the Los Angeles suburb of San Pedro, Calif., Feb. 5-6, by the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) – the unified and recognized voice of seaports in the Americas. Covering issues ranging from artificial intelligence, automation, cybersecurity and workforce training, presenters will look at both the cargo- and passenger-handling sides of smart port operations.
“AAPA’s 2020 Smart Ports seminar will provide a comprehensive drill-down into how seaports are adapting to information, mechanization, security and workforce development changes as they embrace the digitized world,” said AAPA CEO Chris Connor. “Speed-of-light electronic data exchanges and robotics are fast becoming the norm in cargo transportation and supply chain logistics. Presenters at this seminar will detail many of the changes, challenges and charges that seaports face to compete in an increasingly technological marketplace.”
Leading North America’s largest volume container-handling port is Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, who said, “The digital transformation of the maritime industry is at our doorstep. The AAPA ‘Smarts Ports’ seminar is important because digital transformation is the future of seaborne trade. Pushing it off puts ports and maritime stakeholders at risk of competitive loss.”
Among the conference highlights will be:
For more information about AAPA’s 2020 Smart Ports seminar agenda and speakers, click here.
| WHO: | Hosted by American Association of Port Authorities, and co-sponsored by Wabtec Corporation, eX2 Technology and Saab Technologies Ltd. |
| WHAT: | AAPA’s 2020 Smart Ports event. |
| WHEN: |
Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 5-6, 2020. |
| WHERE: | DoubleTree by Hilton – San Pedro – Port of Los Angeles, 2800 Via Cabrillo-Marina, San Pedro, CA 90731 |
| MEDIA: | Professional journalists representing bona-fide media outlets may register for complimentary access to open business sessions (Feb. 5, 8:30am – 5:00pm and Feb. 6, 8:45am – 4:30pm) by emailing Aaron Ellis at aellis@aapa-ports.org and requesting a media badge. |
About AAPA
Founded in 1912 and recognized as the unified voice of seaports in the Americas, AAPA today represents 130 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 200 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports.
According to IHS Markit’s GTA Forecasting Service (previously known as World Trade Service), combined international sea trade moving through Western Hemisphere ports in 2018 totaled nearly 4.2 billion metric tons in volume and US$3.7 trillion in value. Of that combined total, seaports in Central and South America handled 1.854 billion metric tons of cargo valued at US$1.169 trillion, while North American seaports handled 2.343 billion metric tons of goods, valued at US$2.525 trillion. Within North America, U.S. seaports handled 1.01 billion metric tons of trade valued at US$1.945 trillion, while Canada’s seaports handled 381 billion metric tons of goods valued at US$266.667 billion, and Mexico’s seaports handled 352.533 billion metric tons of cargo valued at US$312.908 billion.
To meet the growing demand for trade, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable. For more information, visit www.aapa-ports.org. On Twitter: http://twitter.com/AAPA_Seaports
