The 12^th edition of the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC), jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), will be held on 22 and 23 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in person as well as online. ALMAC is one of a number of large-scale trade events organised by the HKTDC in Hong Kong in the past few months. This year’s ALMAC is expected to attract over 14,000 participants from over 50 countries and regions.

Under the theme, “The Future of the Sustainable Supply Chain: Connectivity · Collaboration ∙ Innovation”, ALMAC will examine issues faced by global businesses, such as the new normal supply chain, current challenges, opportunities through international and regional collaboration and future direction of sustainable development.

ALMAC brings together participants from logistics, maritime, air freight and supply chain management sectors to gain insights, exchange market intelligence and explore business opportunities. In addition to the main physical event in Hong Kong, ALMAC will organise satellite conference venues in various locations, including Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Wuhan, Taiwan, France, Germany, United Kingdom and Hungary. In addition to running a live broadcast of the conference, some satellite venues will invite experts to address logistics issues and experiences from a local perspective and participate in face-to-face exchanges. 

“The macroeconomic environment has been very turbulent, due to a series of factors from inflation, aggressive rate hike and currency fluctuation to geopolitical tensions and energy and food crisis. Against all these uncertainties , this year’s ALMAC will focus on how businesses can work together to cope with the challenges in the supply chain, climate change and the economic recovery. Other areas of discussion will include the opportunities in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the innovative solutions and technologies that are driving advancements in modern logistics and smart supply chain development. ALMAC is a powerful platform to connect the global industry and I would encourage all shippers, including traders, exporters and manufacturers, to join the conference to understand the issues faced by the industry and capture new opportunities.” said Dr Patrick Lau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director.

Exploring the current business landscape

Around 80 industry experts in logistics, maritime, air freight and supply chain will speak in person or virtually. On day one, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee will deliver remarks, followed by a keynote address by Xiangchen Zhang, Deputy-Director General of the World Trade Organization, who will examine how governments and businesses in the international arena may join forces to mitigate the impact of supply chain disruption; the climate change crisis on global trade; and the post-pandemic economic recovery, while fostering greater economic inclusion for equitable growth and stabilising the international supply chain towards achieving sustainable development.

At the Plenary Session, ALMAC will invite global business leaders, including Mathieu Renard Biron, Managing Director of Global Freight Forwarding of Kerry Logistics, Ludovic Renou, CEO of CMA CGM China and Wilkie Wong, Chief Financial Officer of Esquel Group, to speak on how business evolution and supply chain transformation can steer business growth and achieve sustainable development across the current economic landscape building connectivity, fostering collaboration and driving innovation in the vibrant business environment, in order to navigate the new normal.

In the Power Dialogue onday one, titled “Asia for Asia - Powering the Growth of Supply Chain Networks”, Kian Chuan Chang, Regional Director, Customs Brokerage & Trade Compliance of GEODIS APAC (Holdings) Pte. Ltd., Wingco Lo, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Daryl Tay, President, North Asia District of UPS Parcel Delivery Service Limited, and Eva Tsang, Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of Opal Cosmetics Group Limited, will discuss how RCEP creates opportunities through integration of regional trade and supply chains and share their strategic plans for capturing future opportunities. 

In the Thematic Session, Terence Chiu, Commissioner of the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation, together with Ivy Tse, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of FreightAmigo, will share their insights on business strategies for the GBA, and how to capture the business opportunities created by supply chain integration in the GBA. The talk will provide workable insights and practical solutions for SMEs that want to expand markets in the area.

InnoTalks to explore smart tech in the supply chain

Technology advancements are not constrained by geographic boundaries and changes how companies operate and reshape the future of the logistics industry. James Leung, Vice President and Key Account of Geek+, Tim Liu, Vice President, Marketing of Neolix Technologies Co., Ltd. and Julian Ma, Founder and CEO of Inceptio Technology will share game-changing innovative solutions and technologies that are driving advancements in modern logistics and smart supply chain development, helping companies to stay ahead of shifting consumer demands and expectations.

Air Freight Forum to discuss Hong Kong as an international aviation hub in the post-pandemic era

The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is one of the busiest and most advanced airports and continues to consolidate its status as an international aviation hub. In 2021, HKIA handled five million tons of cargo and retained its position as the world’s busiest cargo airport for 10 consecutive years. 

On the first day of the Conference, the Air Freight Forum, co-organised with the Airport Authority Hong Kong, will invite Marco Bloemen, Managing Director of Seabury Cargo, Samuel Lee, General Manager of DHL Express Central Asia Hub and Yin Daxue, CEO of Hong Kong Cingleot Investment Management Limited, to discuss HKIA’s “Airport City” vision covering the third runway, express air cargo terminal expansion, the new premium logistics centre, staff training strategies and the synergy created by HKIA and the airports in Mainland China.

Maritime Forum to examine the GBA and sustainable development 

Edward Liu, Partner of Haiwen & Partners LLP and Principal Representative of International Chamber of Shipping (China) Liaison Office, will examine Hong Kong’s unique role as an international maritime hub. The global maritime industry is transitioning and there is an urgency to identify tangible action plans for sustainable development to achieve the International Maritime Organisation’s 2050 greenhouse gas reduction target. 

The second Maritime Forum will invite Simon Bennett, Deputy Secretary General of International Chamber of Shipping, Anne-Sophie Zerlang Karlsen, Head of Ocean Operations, Asia Pacific of Maersk,  Michael Karlsen, CEO of Onomondo and Michael Fitzgerald, Group Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd, to discuss shipping sustainability, decarbonisation and digitalisation through practical collaborative action and uncover the potential opportunities and benefits from switching to sustainable and digitalised shipping.

Leading e-commerce marketplace to share success story

The rise of e-commerce has led to several challenges for online retailers and warehouses, as companies and customers look for a transparent, cost-effective, flexible, omnichannel fulfilment that can meet their respective demands.

The newly added Shippers’ Forum will be held on the second day (23 November) with Jenny Hui, General Manager of eBay Hong Kong, Taiwan and Global Emerging Markets sharing the latest fulfilment trends and best practices for delivering reliable and agile fulfilment solutions that shape the future development of  e-commerce.

Major global business trend creating smart and sustainable supply chain

Sustainability is a popular topic on the world’s supply chain agenda. In the Power Dialogue, Suzanne Cheung, Head of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability of Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong, will share  best practices of and carbon reduction approaches to integrating sustainability with the corporate core values and supply chain management for driving business growth and co-creating sustainable global development.

HKTDC has organised two Supply Chain Management & Logistics Forums with The Hong Kong Shippers’ Council and GS1 Hong Kong, respectively. For Supply Chain Management & Logistics Forums I,  industry experts Lyan Law, Head, Industry 4.0 and Industrial Drone Solution of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, Felix Wong, Sales Director of Acquaintance Enterprises Limited, will share smart and agile supply chains through innovations. For the Supply Chain Management & Logistics Forums II,  Ben Au, General Manager of Empower SCM Ltd., Johnny Wong, Director, Supply Chain Asia Pacific of Bausch & Lomb HK Limited and Rick Woo, Co-founder of LOST, will talk about smart and innovative supply chains and    operational strategy transformation from an omnichannel model to a meta-channel model. 

In the Closing Session, Chee Choong Ng, Senior Vice President & Managing DirectorHong Kong & Macau, DHL Express (Hong Kong) Limited, Fox Chu, Partner of McKinsey, John Parkes, Managing Director – Integrated Logistics of Kerry Logistics and Graziano Terenzi, CEO of Inglobe Technologies, will discuss the metaverse and how the logistics industry can make use of robotics, extended reality, augmented reality and other technologies to drive industry development.

During ALMAC 2022, the discussions are complemented by an exhibition featuring over 50 exhibitors showcasing logistics and supply chain solutions, innovative technology and operating systems, which help SMEs enhance their global supply chain management. The HKTDC will be arranging business matching sessions for participants to drive more business cooperation.

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. 

or more information, please visit: http://www.hktdc.com/aboutus.