Budapest Airport’s Cargo Day, a must for industry representatives in Central and Eastern Europe, will take place this year on 08OCT24. The venue is the Balna Convention Center, located directly on the shores of the Danube River, near the city center. For the first time, it is a two-day double event which will be held together with event manager ACE, responsible for running the show on 09OCT24 at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Hotel, Budapest. The program of both days is filled with topics currently hotly discussed in the air freight industry, primarily addressing industry representatives from Central and Eastern Europe.
Budapest Airport’s Cargo Day, a must for industry representatives in Central and Eastern Europe, will take place this year on 08OCT24. The venue is the Balna Convention Center, located directly on the shores of the Danube River, near the city center. For the first time, it is a two-day double event which will be held together with event manager ACE, responsible for running the show on 09OCT24 at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Hotel, Budapest. The program of both days is filled with topics currently hotly discussed in the air freight industry, primarily addressing industry representatives from Central and Eastern Europe.
How is success defined?
It will also be interesting to hear from the panelists as to what the adjective “successful” means exactly in the context of air cargo and mentioned in the program as a key topic. Is it all about maximizing profits? Or harmonizing one’s own business model with pressing ecological requirements? Success – that is a term that is open to interpretation, delivering much food for thought. So, it will be up to Mr. Polmans and his panelists to translate the term into practicable use and make it manageable for the attendees, thus offering them an important takeaway.
Customers and their expectations
The focal topic: “The Customer View – what do the consignors think today about the air cargo industry and its role in logistics? What are their requirements?” not only has the longest title of all thematic offers listed in the program, but also sounds very appealing. The panel will be moderated by József Kossuth – Cargo Director, Budapest Airport and host of the BUD Cargo Day event. Needless to say that customer views often differ substantially, depending on subjective business interests and other priorities. What they all have in common, however, is a transparent supply chain from source to destination, shorter ground times and thus the fast flow of goods, as well as the safe transportation of shipments. And, in the event of a claim, that someone is available and takes care of the case. In the past, airlines and ground handling agents have sometimes had severe shortcomings in this field, as customer complaints show. Another point worth discussing is the Suez crisis and its impact on supply chains. Does air freight benefit from longer ocean transports forced by the Houthi’s shelling of commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden, forcing them to circumvent Africa? It would be interesting to hear reports and assessments from industry representatives on this aspect at the BUD event.
Temu and Shein, the new shooting stars
Prior to concluding the official program with networking, it will all be about eCommerce. Speaker Dennis Li, General Manager Cainiao Network, will talk about the latest technological and commercial developments in this segment. A panel consisting of a very international line-up will pick up and broaden the topic, moderated by Adrián Palágyi, Cargo Development Manager, Budapest Airport. Propelled by the Chinese e-tailers Shein and Temu, air freight volumes have risen sharply in recent months and are expected to increase further. It is no coincidence that Martinair Cargo and Qatar Airways Cargo have shifted parts of their cargo traffic from Latin America to routes between China and Europe. Without flexible air freight solutions, the daily volumes of Temu and Co. would not be manageable. The way in which Budapest Airport is affected by this trend and presumably benefitting from it, will certainly be a top subject to be discussed at the BUD Cargo Day.
ACE provides the platform for deepening business relations
The second day is all about collaboration between the various industry stakeholders. Responsible for running the show is organizer ACE, whose platform provides exclusive networking opportunities including one-to-one meetings and solution-driven presentations. It offers many opportunities to build and strengthen long-lasting partnerships. “We’re enthusiastic about hosting our first event in Central Europe alongside the BUD Cargo Day. Budapest stands as one of Europe’s premier air cargo transportation hubs, making it an ideal location for ACE this year. Budapest Airport is forward-thinking, offering ample opportunities for industry players of all sizes to explore new business prospects and fortify existing relationships,” states Christos Spyrou, the organizer of ACE.
“The essence of the ACE event lies in its ability to gather executives from industry stakeholders, including airlines, freight forwarders, consolidators, GSSAs, handlers, shippers, and solution providers, under one roof. At Budapest Airport, we are building the cargo gateway to the CEE region. We understand the significance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in propelling innovation and growth within the air cargo industry. By working together with ACE, we are able to jointly offer a valuable platform for industry stakeholders to come together and tackle the challenges and opportunities facing our sector in Central Europe and beyond,” notes Jozsef Kossuth, Head of BUD Cargo.
