Russian logistics attracts more than 60 foreign businessmen from 25 countries to Moscow
The first International ACEX Alliance conference (Associated Cargo Experts) took place in Moscow on September 13-14.
Leaders of companies from 25 different countries took part in the conference, among them there were Russia, USA, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, China, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, etc.
Company executives and top-managers arrived in Moscow for joint business development with the Russian freight forwarders. Among attendees were the following companies: ARAMEX, Weida, Shipco, Cargo Partner, Quick Cargo Service, Sparber Group, Hankyu Hanshin, Oceanair, as well as а few score of other leaders of international logistics companies and ACEX Alliance partners.
Among Russian conference participants were specialists from million- cities which are the consolidation centers and transit hubs of the Russian Federation: Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny-Novgorod, Kazan, Irkutsk, etc.
The foreign participants were interested in the meetings with the representatives from the CIS countries – Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, as the logistics of these regions is closely connected with the Russian economy.
The main goal of the conference was to create a joint platform for communication and business development between transport companies from Europe, America, Asia and the largest Russian regional representatives.

Among the participants was the representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry who also supported the conference. The Chairman of the logistics committee of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Oleg Dunaev focused on the importance of integration processes for supply chain formation in order to minimize goods user value and create respected service quality based on the companies’ cooperation. Also during the conference the questions of barriers for logistics development between Russia and Eurasian countries were discussed. The main problems were connected with undeveloped transport infrastructure, difficulties with customs clearance and lack of well-qualified personnel in the logistics companies.
The leaders of Global GSA Group also made a presentation for foreign and Russian Alliance partners. Global GSA Group consolidates freight traffics of 60 worldwide airline companies, 20 of which operate in Russia. The law specialist for international affairs highlighted the specificity of legal regulations in the logistics industry
Most part of the two days conference was dedicated to the face-to-face meetings meaning that the representative of each foreign company had possibility to conduct intense negotiations with every Russian partner.
According to the participants’ feedback from Russia and the CIS countries, they have attended such format of meeting for the first time. Its unique character consists in the opportunity to meet directly, without intermediaries and long correspondence with the top-managers from all over the world who make up business decisions on their own.
Maria Moskvicheva, the Head of "Buro Perevozok" (Rostov-on-Don): “Such negotiations are extremely important tools in our work. Potential partners who are ready to set up business relations come altogether into one place at one time. Another most important aspect is a direct personal contact because it will help understand any person better than a website, or an advertising, or a company presentation (which add on the necessary features but don’t substitute for the main one – ability to see, to talk to, and to feel a human being). ”.
Vladimir Boyarchuk, CARGO-EXPRESS (Irkutsk): “I am sure that the compressed spring in the international logistics industry will shoot after this meeting. Moreover, human potential of the alliance participants is huge and no peripetia in the current difficult political situation will affect mutually beneficial and efficient work. All meetings, without exception, were useful and yielded good results. The conference was conducted at top-level. I will remember it for long time, hope as the other participants”.
As for the interest to the ACEX conference from the part of the foreign companies, the priority reason for their arrival in Moscow is intention to lift the dark veil from the Russian regional business. For majority of European countries, America and Asia the logistics processes, customs clearance in Russia and the CIS countries are still unpredictable and unstable.
«It was mentioned during the meeting by someone that Russia is a blank spot. Indeed, after this meeting things are clearer now about Russia and region. This will encourage us to really look for potential business opportunities», - says Sherif El-Diwani of MESCO (Egypt).
«It was very important this meetings, we can understand more about Russian procedures and biz opportunities. As Russia is a new market for us, based on the information and possible statistics report we hope can get from our side and from Russia side, we will promote a task force with our sales team to get new biz in this route», - Benjamin Min, RANUR (Brazil).
According to the most foreign participants’ opinion, they had a great opportunity to learn “at first hand” the information of the Russian traffic flows, main airports, seaports and railways, specificity of document circulation and customs clearance.
General Manager of Quick Cargo Service Stephan Haltmayer: «By meeting face to face with the partners I feel much more confident to working together and giving credit to people I did not know in the past. ‎Trust is the basics in our business. This is very important to start doing business».
«This was the first year but for sure it will be a well know conference with the hard job that you are doing to promote this conference worldwide. For sure Sparber Group and ACEX will find the way to start cooperating regularly», - says Alexander Sparber of SPARBER GROUP (Spain).
«Had great time to meet together as one team and same directions to grow up together. Through the combine international and local networks», - Masato Iizuka of Hankyu Hanshin Express (Japan).
Roberto Colucci, World Cargo (Italy): «I have found the negotiations/meetings extremely interesting. We have learned a lot in only a couple of days and I am sure we still need to learn a lot more. The opportunities can be many. There is plenty of business between Italy and Russia but we need to work closely with the alliance members and exchange all necessary info, since the Russian market is a consignee sold business and the decision makers are there not in Italy».
Safwan Tannir, Chief Freight Officer of Aramex (UAE): «The ACEX conference, held in Moscow, was a brilliant idea to start with. Almost all the one-to-one meetings I have had, have the potential to turn into mutual business. Simple idea, brilliant execution, top-notch organization and a very successful outcome indeed! We came in as strangers, left as friends. With plenty of contacts, name cards and promising opportunities in hand».
Latest news about the conference and photos of participants see soon on the conference page: http://www.acexgroup.net/en/the-first-international-acex-alliance-confer...
ACEX Alliance Press Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.acexgroup.net

ACEX Alliance (Associated Cargo Experts)

It is the first Russian Worldwide Logistics Alliance which combines independent Russian and foreign forwarders. Its goal is to develop joint business in the field of logistics and customs clearance in the territory of Russia and the CIS countries. The members of the Alliance are the strongest and experienced forwarding companies form different countries of the world. Additional information of the Alliance, ACEX Conference, event program and its location you can get by e-mail [email protected] , [email protected] or on the web-page of the ACEX Alliance Conference www.acexgroup.net .