Our annual event in Panama City brings together C level executives of port authorities, terminal operators, infrastructure companies, financial institutions, engineering firms, transportation and logistics companies who represent important and strategic projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants are interested in the potential for project development and new business opportunities related to investments and the evolving industry landscape.  

 

The geographic scope for the event is Latin America.  The recent investments made in the Panama Canal will have an everlasting impact on the way business is done in the region. The event will play a vital role in helping companies define their market strategy and develop key relationships for future business development.

 

Many countries in Latin America has been investing in expanding and modernizing their port facilities to more efficiently service current demand as well as facilitate the expansion of its foreign trade.  Mexico’s infrastructure plan includes a port investment program that includes US$1.8 billion expansion of the port of Veracruz, the country’s automotive gateway. Colombia also has an interesting number of port expansion projects, while Panama and Brazil are launching aggressive plans to attract foreign investment to the sector.

 

Topics to be explored:

 

• Infrastructure: expansions, new ports, new terminals, waterways

• The changing competitive landscape: 

  • Consolidation of the liner shipping market

  • Changes in the size of vessels

  • New port & terminal operators

  • Effects of the Panama channel expansion

  • Changes in trading patterns

  • Bi-oceanic initiatives (Nicaragua, Guatemala, Tehuantepec)

• Productivity

  • Technology & innovation

  • New equipment

  • The multimodal factor and the role of the railway infrastructure

• Energy terminals: LNG/Fuels/Oil, storage and transport logistics, special facilities to attend O&G offshore operations

• The evolution of business models: Terminals vs transfer

• Financing

• Risk management

• Security