Breakbulk, Project Cargo and Heavy-Lift Conference & Exhibition Marks Record Attendance, Exhibitors

HOUSTON, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's 21st Annual Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference and Exhibition attracted 3,800 attendees and nearly 220 exhibits, a record in both attendees and exhibit booths for the event held Oct. 11-15 at the George R. Brown Convention Centre in Houston.

Breakbulk Americas is one of three annual breakbulk and project cargo transportation conferences organized by the Breakbulk (www.breakbulk.com) division of UBM Global Trade. The company also produces the annual Breakbulk Europe Transportation Conference and Exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, and the Breakbulk Asia Transportation Conference and Exhibition, held annually in Singapore. For more information on these events, please log on to www.breakbulk.com/events.

This year's Houston event included a Leadership Summit of industry executives who reviewed compliance issues, a sold-out Breakbulk Education Day for 120 students, a charity golf tournament benefiting the Houston Seafarers, a tour of the Port of Houston and two days of program sessions and keynote speakers addressing industry issues and forecasts.

"We are delighted with the record attendance and number of exhibitors set by the conference's debut in Houston," said Alli McEntyre, vice president and publisher of Breakbulk Magazine and Events. "The Breakbulk Americas event is well-established as a must-attend event for this sector because of the business intelligence and networking opportunities it provides attendees."

The conference, hosted by the Port of Houston Authority and organized by the Breakbulk division of UBM Global Trade, included senior-level decision-makers from the breakbulk and project cargo shipping sectors around the world. Keynote speakers highlighting a solid two-day program included such noted industry leaders as:

-- David Hammerle, principal vice president at Bechtel Corp.

-- Susan Oatway, senior consultant for Drewry Shipping Consultants.

-- Robert Drew, general manager of logistics, Tata Steel International.

Besides forecasts for capital projects, multipurpose fleets and steel shipping, industry executives discussed important breakbulk and project cargo issues ranging from trends in the energy market and evolving contract strategies to solutions for U.S. surface transportation project cargo restrictions and the new role of freight forwarders.

On the packed exhibit floor, exhibitors celebrated their latest achievements during the conference. For example, Nordana hosted a Latin band and a cigar-rolling demonstration to showcase the company's new regular call at Panama for roll-on, roll-off and breakbulk cargoes.  The grand finale of the event was the Port Night Party hosted by the Port of Houston, which drew a crowd of more than 2,500 people at Minute Maid Park.

About Breakbulk -- The Breakbulk (www.breakbulk.com) division of UBM Global Trade has been the most trusted source of intelligence for the breakbulk and project cargo industry since its first breakbulk conference in 1989. The Breakbulk division includes the bimonthly Breakbulk Magazine, three annual conferences, access to all business news articles, indices, archives and more on Breakbulk.com and the weekly e-newsletter, Breakbulk Newswire. Authoritative editorial content in the forms of daily news and in-depth analysis ensure Breakbulk members have the data and information necessary to understand the issues facing the breakbulk, heavy-lift and project cargo shipping sectors. For membership information visit www.breakbulk.com/membership.

About UBM Global Trade -- UBM Global Trade is the leading provider of proprietary data, news, business intelligence and analytical content supporting commercial maritime, rail, trucking, warehousing and logistics industries worldwide. The company's portfolio of more than 100 online, print and interactive workflow business solutions includes The Journal of Commerce, Breakbulk, RailResource, PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions and an array of international trade and transportation databases and directories. UBM Global Trade, a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited, is headquartered in Newark, NJ, with offices throughout the United States. For more information, explore www.ubmglobaltrade.com or call 800-223-0243 (+1-973-848-7250 outside the U.S. or Canada).

SOURCE UBM Global Trade