The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) will be hosting the 22nd European Cold Chain Conference between March 20-22 in Brussels, Belgium.
The event, which seeks to bring together high-level professionals representing temperature controlled third-party logistics including storage, transportation, logistics and more, will provide many opportunities for knowledge transfer, as well as networking.
The main challenges associated with the cold chain industry will also be discussed during the conference. GCCA’s president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch told Frozen Food Europe these challenges in Europe revolve mainly around data, talent and the consequences of Brexit.
“Overall, we’re seeing a focus on our warehouse member companies making decisions driven by carefully collected, measured, and analyzed data. They are ramping up their measurement and use of key metrics to build stronger consumer relationships and maximize operation efficiencies. In many cases, these 3PL companies are being challenged to lower rates for customers, yet their operational costs are rising. The best way to make customers aware of this fact during rate negotiations is to back it up with data. This is all meant to improve and elevate the 3PL-to-customer relationship from a simple service provider to a valuable partnership with the 3PL offering a multitude of services outside of storing pallets,” Rosenbusch explains.
He goes on to reveal that at the conference attendees will hear from a company that has set up an entire team of full-time PhD-level data analysts who collect data and use it for predictive decision-making to create a more efficient supply chain.
Another hot topic that the upcoming event will touch upon is the upcoming Brexit.
“Talent recruitment and retention is a key issue across the entire manufacturing sector and is one that is impacting cold chain companies in Europe quite significantly. Many companies are facing new challenges following the diminished value of the British Pound as a result of Brexit. Workers are no longer seeing the financial benefit of working in warehouses out of their home country, as the money, they’re sending home no longer carriers the exchange rate strength the pre-Brexit British Pound,” said Rosenbusch for Frozen Food Europe. “Continuing on the theme of Brexit, we’ll certainly be addressing the economic impact Brexit is having and is anticipated to continue having on the cold chain industry throughout Europe, and specifically how inventory levels are being impacted between the UK and the rest of Europe as result of the trade changes,” he goes on.
Attendees can expect a keynote dedicated on the topic, that will be most likely be delivered by an executive-level leader of a European-based warehouse 3PL.
