Port of Houston Authority to Host First Gulf Shipping Conference

The Port of Houston Authority has entered into a host port sponsorship agreement with The Journal of Commerce, an IHS company, for the 2016 JOC Gulf Shipping Conference. With the Panama Canal expansion underway, regional U.S. ports from Tampa, Fla. to Brownsville, Texas are striving to meet the growing demands and challenges of the shipping and freight business. The inaugural event will take an in-depth look at Gulf Coast containerized imports and exports, trade movements and logistics realities.

The Port of Houston Authority has been working to develop the annual conference with JOC Events, which produces the annual trans-Pacific maritime-focused TPM Conference in Long Beach, Calif. The 1.5-day seminar will be held on June 13-14, 2016, at the Houston Magnolia Hotel, and will highlight the Gulf Coast and its strategic importance to beneficial cargo owners, shippers and carriers. Sessions will focus on opportunities, advantages and efficiencies for moving containerized cargoes to Houston and other Gulf Coast ports.

“We’re excited to be a part of this upcoming trade conference with The Journal of Commerce. The Gulf Coast is an alternate transportation gateway option for many importers and exporters connecting major markets in the U.S. with all major trade lanes,” said Ricky Kunz, chief commercial officer for the Port of Houston Authority.

The new industry meeting is scheduled to cover a variety of topics and trends including market analysis and outlook, technology and innovation, intermodal rail, heavy lift and cross-gulf services. For more information about the JOC Gulf Shipping Conference, please visit http://events.joc.com/gulfshipping2016/.

About the Port of Houston Authority

For more than 100 years, the Port of Houston Authority has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals of the Port of Houston – the nation’s largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the nation. It supports the creation of nearly 1.175 million jobs in Texas and 2.7 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling almost $265 billion in Texas – 16 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product – and more than $617 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the Port Authority website at: www.portofhouston.com.

The Port of Houston Authority logo is available here.

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