TOC Americas 2008 Adds Speakers

TOC Events Worldwide announced the addition of more industry executives as speakers at the upcoming 8th TOC Americas Conference and Exhibition, taking place November 18-20 at the Long Beach Convention Centre, CA, USA.

Dave Sanborn, Senior Vice President and Managing Director Americas Region for DP World, will share the global terminal operator’s views on terminal investment and development against the backdrop of the world financial crisis, including a perspective on investment frameworks and public-private sector relations. Mr. Sanborn joined DP World in May 2005 following senior management positions with CMA CGM, American President Lines and Sea-Land Service, Inc.

Mr. Sanborn joins the plenary opening session on Tuesday 18 November alongside other industry executives and analysts including John Bowe, President Americas, APL; Robin Lanier, Executive Director, Waterfront Coalition; Dr. Walter Kemmsies, Chief Economist for Moffatt & Nichol; Robert West, Principal – Trade & Transportation, Halcrow; and Sean Strawbridge, Managing Director Corporate Development, Ports America.

The morning-long session will review the business and economic outlook for maritime container trade, port and terminal infrastructure across the Americas in light of the continued crisis in world financial markets and the real world economic fall-out.

Also joining the debate at TOC Americas is Jeff Holt, Vice President for Public Sector and Infrastructure Banking at Goldman Sachs & Co, who will sit on a special panel on Port Finance & Investment on the afternoon of 19 November. Mr. Holt, who has been involved in the financing of a number of US transport infrastructure projects, will share views with fellow speakers and the audience on the impact of current events for the cost and availability of money and future funding options for the port sector. 

TOC Events also confirmed the participation of Rodolfo Sabonge, Vice President of Market Research and Analysis for the Panama Canal Authority, who will present a special session on the morning of 19 November. Expansion of the Panama Canal and associated ports and logistics infrastructure has major ramifications for cargo routings and port gateways across the Americas. How is the expansion proceeding and how might Panama’s development plans be impacted by the financial crisis and economic aftermath?

TOC Americas 2008 is staged with the joint support of the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. James C. Hankla, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners and Kathryn McDermott, Deputy Executive Director at Port of Los Angeles, will welcome delegates to the conference on the morning of 18 November. Later in the day, Port of Long Beach Executive Director Richard Steinke and Michael Christensen, Deputy Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles, will present a special panel on ‘Environmental Change – Adapting to a Challenging New Reality.’

Now in its eighth year, TOC Americas is a forum for senior and operational managers in liner shipping, ports, terminals and associated services to review latest demands along the maritime container transport chain and assess the impact for infrastructure investment, performance and technology.

(www.tocevents-americas.com)