CSA Newsletter - July 2014

>> CSEC Miami Highlights

13th CSEC underscores CSA Members’ Commitment to the Caribbean

Participants in the CSA’s 13th Executives’ Conference

The recently concluded Caribbean Shipping

Executives Conference (CSEC) held in Miami, Florida, has underscored the commitment of CSA members to the building and sustaining of relationships in the region.

A total of 244 delegates from 30 countries in the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe were in attendance during the three-day conference held at the Miami Marriott, May 12 – 14, 2014 making the 13th CSEC the largest mid-year conference of the CSA to date.

LARGE FRENCH DELEGATION

Hosted in collaboration with PortMiami, the conference featured the largest delegation

from the French West Indies, indicating the commitment of the CSA’s French members to bridging the language barrier and increasing their participation in CSA events. A total of 26 French representatives were in attendance. The 13th CSEC also saw the return of Dominica to the CSA’s mid-year conference.

CSA President, Grantley Stephenson

EVOLVE TO REMAIN IN BUSINESS

CSA President Grantley Stephenson in his opening remarks said that the Caribbean is on the cusp of unprecedented growth. “In order for us to realise this promise, our efforts today must be underpinned by bold thinking and an unequivocal

CSA NEWS Issue # 3 July 2014

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acknowledgement of the changing context within which we operate,” Stephenson said.

He pointed out that while countries in the region continue to compete among themselves, they should also have a united effort to offer even fiercer competition on a global stage.

The CSA president also encouraged members of the CSA to continue to take advantage of the recovery phase – the aftershock of the 2008 global recession.

Noting that there are high expectations that the opening of the third locks in the canal will herald a new era in East-West Trade, Stephenson implored members of the CSA to continue to evolve in order to remain in business.

Director of PortMiami, Juan Kuryla, at CSEC 2013

IMPORTANCE OF CARIBBEAN TO PORTMIAMI’S TRADE

PortMiami Director Juan Kuryla highlighted the importance of the Caribbean to trade in Miami. He noted that the Caribbean constitutes approximately 12 percent of the Port’s total trade while the Americas and the

Caribbean together make up 54.3 percent of PortMiami’s total trade.

“Caribbean countries are some of the most valuable trade partners we have at PortMiami and the opportunity to speak with all of the region’s most important players means a lot to me and to the Port as a whole,” Kuryla said.

Alfredo di Palma, CEO, Sealand

KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED

The 13th CSEC examined topical issues affecting the maritime industry in the Caribbean region. Of great importance were the revelations from Maersk/Sealand regarding the renewal of their service in the region. The Danish company announced in January 2014 that it would revive its Sealand brand to take over the North-South routes and feeder services in the Americas currently run by Maersk.

Alfredo di Palma, Sealand’s Chief Commercial Officer, announced that the Line’s aim is to gain 20 percent of the market within the next two to three years. The announcement elicited gasps from the delegates; however, Di Palma reassured members that the 20 percent market share would be gained


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through direct commercial efforts or Vessel sharing agreements. Also of great interest was the presentation on the Panama Canal. Slated for a December 2015 opening, the addition of the third locks is expected to reduce the cost per unit of cargo; improve productivity and flexibility of carriers; reduce CO2 emissions of cargo; improve competitiveness of the Panama Canal route and improve carrier’s network performance. The widened canal is also expected to impact the development of ports and land infrastructure in the region.

Michele Paige - President, Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association

Discussions on the Cruise industry garnered much interest from delegates attending the conference. Cruise expert Michelle Paige, President of the Florida Caribbean Cruise

Association, informed delegates that the Caribbean has maintained its rank as the dominant cruise destination with 34.4 percent of all global capacity in 2013 and an estimated increase to 37.3 percent in 2014.

The increased capacity from new ships is being credited with the growth prospects. Further growth is expected as the 2014 - 2016 cruise ship order book includes 34 new ships and over 60,000 berths from member lines.

Presentations on the Benefits of Advanced Level Training in the Maritime Industry; how maritime domain awareness affects ports and shipping; new marine gas era; Maritime Insurance and Invasive Species, also proved to be of great interest to delegates.

Members of the CSA will meet again in October at the CSA’s annual general meeting, conference and exhibition.


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>> 2014 Annual General Meeting Conference & Exhibition

44th AGM, Conference and Exhibition to be held in Dom Rep The Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic will host delegates attending the 44th annual general meeting, conference and exhibition of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA).

Being hosted in partnership with the Shipping Association of the Dominican Republic, the event will be held from October 13 – 15, 2014.

The resort boasts the largest and most modern convention centre in the Dominican Republic - the Barceló Bávaro Convention Center. It offers more than 123,785 ft² spread out into 13 function rooms with different specifications that can be subdivided into a total of 24 rooms and hold up to a maximum of 5,000 people. These function rooms offer the latest technology in computer and audiovisual equipment, a part from a large array of services.

An adult-only resort, Barcelo Bavaro Beach is located on the sands of one of the top 10 beaches in the world in the arena of Punta Cana. The hotel offers first class rooms 80 per cent of which are located on the beachfront.

Registration for the conference will be opened at the end of June. Delegates are being offered an early bird registration fee of USD800 for members and USD900 for Observers until August 31, 2014. Thereafter, the fees will be USD900 and USD1000 respectively.


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>>CSA Training Cartagena Training Underscores Best Practice!

Participants in the CSA-CONTECAR Terminal Study Tour with course facilitator, Maria Quintana and CSA Secretariat

Representative, Fernando Rivera

Eleven Caribbean Nationals successfully completed the Caribbean Shipping Association’s (CSA) Terminal Study Tour in Cartagena, Colombia, June 16 – 20, 2014. The programme was the first CSA training initiative for the year, with participants from St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Participants were exposed to the operations at CONTECAR and best practices at the high-performing, multi-purpose port. The course provided the opportunity for attendees to make parallel assessments between terminal operations

in Colombia and their countries of origin to aid in determining solutions to common operations and port management challenges. The programme took an in-depth look at Cruise and Commercial Operations; Safety and Security; Vessel Planning; Yard Planning; Roro Operations; Equipment Operations; Human Resource Management; Maintenance and Stowage. Everton Thomas, management Trainee of Kingston Wharves Limited in Jamaica, described the course as excellent. “The training will assist us in


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benchmarking some of the best practices observed,” Thomas said. For Kervin Freeman of St. Kitts, the course was “a beneficial one, due in large part to the hosts, facilitators and the participants.”

Mr. Freeman added that the topics were covered in great detail and that the discussions that followed revealed similarities among the islands port operations. “It was a real education that we all took full advantage of. It is my intention to submit some ideas and suggestions to my CEO and management team with the hope that they will be acted upon,” Mr. Freeman stated.

Terrence Brooks, Operations Manager of the Shipping Association of Jamaica’s (SAJ) Recruiting Centre, said the course was insightful and timely as it provided in-depth information and exposure to the full gamut of operations at the Container Terminal of Cartagena (CONTECAR) and SPRC Container Terminal.

“I believe that in order for my organization to effectively support the Port of Kingston we should fully understand the systems and thinking behind processes used in high performing port operations. CONTECAR and SPRC’s management continue to define and redefine best practice based on the nuances of their operations; the course provided me with a broadened perspective that I will be able to translate to my own portfolio” Brooks said.

He added that going forward, his efforts will be centred on sharing the knowledge that was garnered from the Cartagena trip with both his Recruiting Centre team and the wider workforce to further increase awareness of the existing realities and trends. The CSA remains committed to providing its membership with training and educational opportunities to foster development in the region and prepare ports for the future.

Upcoming Training

BARBADOS

CSA will continue its focus on training for its members across the region and will keep you abreast of opportunities as plans are confirmed.


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>> Recognition Enter the Port Awards Competition!

The Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) is once again inviting countries in the region to enter its annual Port Awards Competition.

The competition was established in 1987 with the aim of promoting the improvement of regional port operations.

Last year, a total of 15 countries entered the competition which saw Puerto Rico’s Intership winning Best Container Terminal, and Guadeloupe copping the Best Multi-purpose Port Award.

This year, the awards competition will be computed by the CSA’s new ONLINE Portal which allows independent assessment of quantitative data.

CSA President Grantley Stephenson is encouraging regional ports to participate in the competition. He said ‘the annual CSA Port Awards Competition recognizes the progress of cargo terminals in the Caribbean and Latin America and provides them with useful tools to support their marketing efforts. Recipients of these awards have leveraged their titles in international fora and have benefitted from increased publicity by the CSA Secretariat.’ Mr. Stephenson added that entrants in this year’s competition can look forward to a more seamless interface with the CSA as a result of the inclusion of its new IT platform.


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CSEC Miami Conference in Pictures

>> CSA Digital


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CSA Newsletter - July 2014