News Release
FOR RELEASE - May 19, 2008
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
703-706-4714
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
Under pressure to upgrade and expand their facilities to keep pace with rising trade volumes, port managers are increasingly embracing public-private partnerships and private equity investments to move their capital projects forward. This upsurge in seeking third-party funding opportunities also presents a host of new questions concerning private capital that the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) will help answer during its biennial Port Property Management & Pricing Seminar in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 25-27.
"The financial health, freight-handling capability and overall sustainability of our member ports are key priorities for AAPA, as they are for the port administration, planning and senior level executives who manage them," said Kurt Nagle, AAPA's president and CEO. "This year's Port Property Management and Pricing Seminar in Toronto will help answer questions and present best practice examples concerning private capital benefits and challenges, land development and property management."
Sponsored by AAPA and hosted by the Toronto Port Authority, this 2½-day seminar will tackle the most pressing issues facing port managers on the challenges of private equity financing. Building on the successful 2006 seminar in Chicago, this program will share information through featured speakers, such as KPMG Corporate Finance Director Piyush Mishra, JPMorgan Vice President Kevin Carney and National Council for Public-Private Partnerships Executive Director Richard Norment, to help facilitate effective relationships between ports and potential financing partners.
"Over several years of surveying our members, identifying the availability of capital resources has consistently been one of the top concerns of port managers throughout the Western Hemisphere," said Mr. Nagle. "This seminar will provide attendees valuable information on property development and land use and pricing strategies, while presenting effective case studies that will give participants opportunities to share information and discuss experiences with each other."
The first day's activities will focus on public-private partnerships (PPP) and private equity investment. The morning's sessions will specifically examine the circumstances necessary for a PPP to benefit a port and will include case studies of successful PPP implementations. That afternoon, the presentations will begin with a luncheon program featuring Mr. Norment, who will address and provide examples on how port authorities can leverage their resources with the private sector to enhance port operations and their connections with landside transportation systems. After lunch, attendees will review and discuss case studies on how the ports of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Oakland, Calif., are analyzing private capital options for their public port projects. The final session of the day will feature an inclusive and hypothetical discussion of decision points and questions to be asked in considering PPP options, followed by a Toronto Port Authority-hosted reception.
Session topics for the morning of the second day will focus on property development and land use issues facing port authorities. The discussions will cover development and maintenance of road and rail corridors, and learning how to grow a port to meet future cargo demands while facing local political, environmental and economic priorities. Following lunch, seminar speakers will turn their attention to preservation of scarce waterfront and land resources and review case studies addressing transition zone policies. The final topic of the day will cover creative financing opportunities, including investment partnerships with tax credits, new market tax credits and prospects of a National Infrastructure Bank.
The seminar's final half-day will consist of discussions on pricing port services and facilities, valuation of port property for payments in lieu of taxes and maximizing port property value.
This conference is a required course for those seeking their Professional Port Manager® (PPM®) certification.
More information about AAPA's Port Property Management and Pricing Seminar is available at www.aapa-ports.org (click on the "Programs & Events" tab) or by calling AAPA's Jean Godwin at 703-684-5700.
| WHO: | American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) |
| WHAT: | A seminar investigating use of public-private partnerships and private equity investment. |
| WHEN: | June 25-27, 2008 (Day 1, 8:30am-6:30pm; Day 2, 9:00am-4:45pm; Day 3, 9:00am-11:45am) |
| WHERE: | Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario; tel: 011 1+(416) 361-1000 |
| MEDIA: | Credentialed journalists interested in covering the seminar for media purposes are asked to contact Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org, to obtain a media pass. |
