6th Annual Marine Highways Conference

The 6th Annual North America's Marine Highways Conference, produced by the Journal of Commerce Conferences, will take place April 1 and 2 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, Jacksonville, Florida.

The theme "Are We There Yet?" refers to the status of North American marine highways as a seemingly endless construction zone. Last December, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told The Journal of Commerce that he wanted to steer $30m of President-elect Obama's economic recovery package to short sea loan guarantees for vessels and shore facilities. The money is part of an overall $85b investment in transportation infrastructure now being considered by Congress.

The North America's Marine Highways Conference -- vital for shippers, truckers, short-sea operators and ports, among others -- will address when vessel operators should be able to move freight on coastal routes, rivers and the Great Lakes; the challenges and opportunities for short sea in North America; legislative, regulatory and technology developments; and commercial ventures as well as success stories regarding battling highway congestion. Session topics include:
• America's Deep Blue Highway
• The Green Highway
• Inland and Coastal Carriers; Progress
• Save the Intracoastal?
• Operations: Hub and Spoke
• Operations: Point to Point
• Operations: Great Lakes
• Operations: Kick-start

Conference speakers include:
• Scott G. Borgerson, International Affairs Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
• Richard Plant, Director of Special Projects, International
• Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots
• Peter Drakos, President, Coastal Connect LLC
• Bill Deaver, President & COO, Totem Ocean Trailer Express
• Rosemary Lynch, Executive Director, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association
• Kevin Mack, Vice President, Columbia Coastal
• Raul Alfonso, Director, Container Cargo, Development & Marketing, Port of Jacksonville
• Scott W. Fernandez, Vice President, Coastwise Shipping, Horizon Lines
• Mario Cuen, President, Mexican Chapter of the Gulf Port of the Americas Association
• Rick Couch, President, Couch Lines

To register for the 6th Annual North America's Marine Highways Conference, contact JoC Conferences at (760) 294-5563, at [email protected] or go to http://www.joc.com/conferences.