UFO Network Meeting 2024 - Event Summary
21st February 2024
More than 70 CEOs & Senior Managers from over 45 countries joined together for our 21st Network Meeting held at The Royal Cliff Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand on February 18th-20th.
Thank you to all those who attended our recent gathering! Our Network Meeting significantly saved our members valuable time away from their offices and reduced substantial travel expenses by facilitating P2P meetings in a single location.
The group gathered on Sunday evening at the stunning Sky Aquarium Infini Pool overlooking the Gulf of Thailand to enjoy a Welcome Drink by sunset and then settled down to a delicious International Buffet. A private DJ helped us enjoy the ambience and the evening crescendoed with a spectacular waterside fireworks display!
Our CEO, Rachel Crawford, set the tone for the official meeting proceedings by extending a warm welcome to delegates and emphasising the paramount importance of unity amidst global conflicts. She reiterated our collective commitment to transcending political and religious differences in pursuit of a common goal: fostering collaboration and support within our global family.
Rachel said: "We have sadly witnessed a great deal of global conflict over the past two years. When we tune into the news during these troubling times, our first worry is the safety and welfare of our network friends. As I've always said at the beginning of our gatherings, we are a global family with the single aim of uniting you, putting our political and religious differences to one side. I always take immense pride in our ability to assemble in one space, representing various cultures and backgrounds, all with no other objective than to find ways to work together. So, thank you for your care and your support for each other."
Our Online Heavy Transport Training has proved to be incredibly popular since its launch in 2017 and was not only the proud Finalist in HLPFI’s 'Training of the Year' but so far has also been used by Kuehne+Nagel, Bertling, Schenker, Panalpina and DHL as well as companies in over 50 countries.
UFO thrives on innovation, but what truly drives us is the opportunity to provide our members with valuable benefits that can significantly enhance their business. Therefore, we are proud to be launching an exclusive collection of new training videos. In general, stability often entails lengthy calculations that typically require an engineering degree. Nevertheless, we have condensed this complex subject into a single fundamental concept. What's crucial is that we can achieve this through graphical representation, sidestepping the need for intricate calculations.
Naturally, this approach can never replace the role of engineering, but it provides genuine insight into why one scenario succeeds while another falters.
The expertise obtained from the videos can be applied to your daily work immediately and illustrate that stability in the various domains: transporters, cranes, and barges, essentially boils down to the same underlying principles of nature.
To the best of our knowledge, there has been no precedent for explaining the transport, lifting, and maritime stability concepts as an integrated whole. All UFO Members will have free access to the course and delegates were provided with a handout with QR codes for each of the 5 videos.
The winners of our Awards were presented with their trophies. For 2024, we put the power in Members' hands by inviting them to nominate their favourite members across six categories.
This new approach provided members with an opportunity to highlight and nominate the most exceptional companies within our network. Each award stands as an acknowledgment of the dedication and contributions made by our outstanding members.
2024 Regional Award: Middle East & Africa
Intraspeed South Africa
2024 Regional Award: The Americas
Express Air Freight
2024 Regional Award: Asia & Pacific
Apex International
2024 Regional Award: Europe
Eastway Global Forwarding
2024 Member Contact of the Year
Abdul Shukoor of BGL Cargo Express
2024 International Member of the Year
Euro Cargo Express
Delegates then got down to business and held numerous 1-2-1 meetings with each other, aided by our Countdown Clock and their pre-arranged Meeting Hub schedules. The system not only promotes environmental sustainability but also provides the unique advantage of real-time scheduling. This means that delegates could spontaneously arrange new meetings during the event (useful if an existing one is cancelled), ultimately optimising their time and ensuring they have the opportunity to connect with as many companies as possible.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of meetings, our Chill Out Zone provided a relaxed setting for friendly competitions and photo ops, fostering new relationships and strengthening existing ones.
After a busy day in the meeting room, it was time to relax with an exclusive Thai/European Group Dinner & Disco. The delicious dinner was washed down with an open bar with a surprise performance from Barbara Hiebendahl of ECX Global Logistics who wowed us with her puppeteering skills. The evening provided the perfect opportunity to relax together with many enjoying the opportunity to dance with new and old friends.
Gratitude is extended to our sponsors, Scanlog and CargoWise for their support and a heartfelt appreciation to all who contributed to our charity SOS Childrens Villages.
As we reflect on the success of this gathering, we eagerly anticipate our next rendezvous at the Azia Resort & Spa in Paphos, Cyprus on 27-29 April 2025, where we'll continue to foster connections, drive innovation, and celebrate the strength of our global network together.
We hope to see you all there!
