In the dynamic field of commerce, there are some countries where industries develop very quickly, while others are disfavoured by reasons such as geographical position, climate and so on. While the market is dominated by ten huge multinationals which have about 45% of the contracts all over the world, smaller forwarders have no change that trying to join a network for international freight companies and strive to build a strong global brand. It is very important for those who are new on the market to find out the latest changes in the field, which is why there are many benefits of logistics networks membership. Not only the members find out the tips of a successful business, but they can also gain access to a wide network of contacts and financial support. In addition to this the mutual collaboration is one of the most important rules when joining such an alliance, so they can count on their co-workers to offer them advice and exchange resources, to help them develop. Furthermore, when entering such an organization, they all have to be aware of their rights and obligations, and as far as these are concerned, they also provide the participation to a series of events, like the Annual Meeting of cargo network companies.

Independent transporters often find it difficult to establish partnerships and obtain good contracts, due to their lack of global visibility, but as part of a network, they have the opportunity to access huge databases consisting on the contacts of agents all around the world. During the conference, they can talk face to face to similar companies from the branches and exchange valuable information. The annual meeting is an event organized by each freight alliance, to foster relationships and facilitate cooperation not only between their members, but also between the members and their clients. Generally, the attendants are the top international networks and independent international forwarders, had their meeting has the purpose of encouraging mutual support, in order to achieve mutual success. The participants are shown and explained briefly the agenda of the event before its debut, to set the right expectations and know exactly what is going to happen next. Besides the main goal (fostering relations and discussing new contracts), the event also aims to get the companies together, and help the delegates bond, talk and get to know personally their partners. Knowing personally the person with whom they are collaborating helps partners have more confidence in each other, and build trust.    

Furthermore, during the meeting there is a gala and cocktail evening, where conversations and networking are strongly encouraged. That is the moment when companies find out more about each other’s activity and can discuss and decide new contracts. In addition to this, the event allows forwarders to understand better the processes and resources necessary for their work, in order to realize how important each element is. Those who need specialized advice can relate with more experienced transporters and find out about good case practices and international answers to their questions.  

If you want to read more about network for international freight companies or benefits of logistics networks, please click on these links.