WERC to co-produce warehousing conference in China

Beijing conference and expo will facilitate networking and knowledge sharing between U.S. and Chinese warehousing professionals.

By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor -- Modern Materials Handling, 6/25/2008

The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) has partnered with the China Association of Warehouse and Storage (CAWS) to present the 2008 China Warehousing Annual Conference and Exposition, September 23-24, 2008, in Beijing, China.

This is the first event to be co-presented by the two associations and the first time WERC has been involved in producing an event outside the United States.

Robert Shaunnessey, executive director of WERC, says CAWS is a well established organization in China that has been gradually building a relationship with WERC.

The co-presented event, he says, should be an excellent opportunity for Americans to learn about the capabilities of Chinese warehousing companies and gain a better understanding of the Chinese market. Conversely, he says, Chinese attendees who are building their country’s internal supply lines will have a chance to learn from the experience of their U.S. counterparts.

Translators will be on hand to translate English conference sessions to Chinese and Chinese sessions to English, Shaunnessey says. He predicts about 20% of attendees will be Americans—either Americans working in their companies’ Chinese operations or Americans who travel to China exclusively to attend the conference.

Attendees will have the opportunity to tour local facilities including Jingkelong and Mercedes Benz. They will also be in Beijing at a perfect time for sightseeing, Shaunnessey adds, as Beijing will have just finished hosting the summer Olympics.

Shaoji Shen, president of CAWS, says the collaboration with WERC will add considerable value to his organization’s annual gathering. “Chinese warehousing and distribution professionals will get a chance to expand their networking with WERC members and others,” he says. “The industry is booming in China, and this event presents an excellent opportunity to facilitate dialogue among interested parties.”