The event will take place in Valparaiso, Chile, from October 7 to 10, with the presence of AAPA’s Continental leadership.
With a postal card of Valparaiso hills as a background, the Empresa Portuaria Valparaiso (EPV) and the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) officially launched the 107th AAPA Annual Convention.
The event gathered public authorities, executives and clients of EPV at the deck of Muelle Barón, in Valparaiso, Chile. In the occasion, the host of the 2018 AAPA Annual Convention shared some valuable details about what will certainly be one of the top port events to ever take place in Chile.
“Within four months, between October 7th and 10th, we will host this major port convention that will gather, for the first time in Chile and in our beloved city of Valparaiso, more than 700 directors, executives and representatives of over 150 ports and 300 companies in the industry. This highlights the strategic relevance of our activity on the hemisphere, as the driving force of economic development and exchange,” said Gonzalo Davagnino, General Manager of EPV.
“This is the first time that the Convention will take place in South America and I believe it is an honor and a big recognition to Valparaiso for the role played by its port in the region and to Raul Urzua’s leadership, who is extremely renowned and respected within the industry. It is a great opportunity to showcase the importance of Valparaiso to the international community,” highlighted AAPA’s President and CEO, Kurt Nagle.
“All the Chilean ports are working together -and especially along EPV-, to provide great support to the Convention. Three years ago we were at the Port of Arica for our Latin American Congress and in other occasions, we worked with different Chilean ports. I’m aware that both the government and the organizations that promote national exports also see the Convention as a great opportunity for the country,” added Nagle.
According to Rafael Díaz-Balart, AAPA Latin American Coordinator, the Convention’s agenda will approach the most recent challenges faced by the industry.
“Our agenda includes topics such as the merger of shipping companies and its impact in the sector, environmental concerns and the latest trends in port workforce training. Cybersecurity is also a major topic of interest considering how it has affected Maersk in 2017, among others. We will try to cover a large array of matters that are points of concern to the sector,” said Díaz-Balart.
All information regarding the Main Port Event of 2018 is available at www.aapavalparaiso2018.com.
