b'22American Journal of Transportation ajot.com2020: The year of living virtually GSC Logistics Arsenault hails CMA CGMs first port By George Lauriat, AJOTForthoseininternationalnations with developing econo- ing the conference in a virtualof call at Oaklandshipping and trade, 2020 becamemies, which far outnumber topreality setting was destined to the Year of Living Virtually astier trading states. be a challenge. By Stas Margaranis, AJOTdozens of conferences and tradeAlthoughtechnologyhasDan March, CEO of WCA shows eschewed cancelling duebeen instrumental in improvingWorld,inaninterviewwithThedecisionbyFrenchdai Merchant Marine (America).topandemictravelrestrictionsinternational trade flows, inter- theAmericanJournalofTrans- oceancarrierCMACGMtoGSC Logistics said it trans-and opted for going digital. Andpersonal relations between for- portation,offeredtheanatomymake the Port of Oakland its firstported an all-time record number theWCAWorld,anetwork- warding partners is still a key toof putting together the networksport of call in a new service fromof containers last year from ports ingassociationofindependenttackling the inevitable problemscomplexundertaking. AsMarchAsia is a reflection of importersin Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma. international freight forwarders,thatemerge. Andthatrequiresexplained the situation, In Janu- andexportersdevelopingnewIt anticipates significant growth hastakenthisonlinetechnol- anelementoftrustbetweenary [with the news of COVID-19smarkets closer to their custom- in2021,indicatingthattrade ogy one step farther, opening upforwarders on each side of theglobalspread]wewerealreadyers:First-callstatusdemon- dynamics favor its home market aglimpseintoavirtualworldtransaction and establishing thatresigned that the [WCAs] World- stratesthemarketisviewingin Northern California.once imagined as science fictionbond often begins at trade con- widemeetinginMacao[sched- the Port of Oakland more stra- Arsenaultsaidshipping rather than an everyday reality. ferencesorganizedbyfreightuledforDec.2020]wouldbetegicallywhichwillattractlinesareredirectingcargoto forwarding networks. cancelled. Even with the confer- increased cargo volumes, saysOakland from congested South-v Irtual IS ar ealIty encemonthsout,WCAsseniorGSC Logistics Harbor Truckingern California ports. Highlight-Theprolificsciencefic- a natomy oF av Irtual managementwereaskingthem- President Dave Arsenault. ingthetrend,Frenchshipping tion writer Isaac Asimov in hisC onFerenCe selves questions the pandemic wasline CMA CGM launched a first-novellatheNakedSun[pub- Byfarthelargestofthecreating worldwide like: What ifcall Oakland service Feb. 12 in a lished in 1957 as part of the sem- globalfreightforwardingnet- there is no travel? How can weweekly service from Asia: The inal I. Robot series] portraysworksistheWCAWorld,anprotect the health of our memberscurrentcongestioninSouthern theSolariansasanalienraceumbrellaorganizationcom- and our staff? California has meant import and who practice social distancingprisedoffifteenlogisticsnet- For the WCA it was clearexportwerecausingadditional and interact with each other pri- worksaccountingforaroundthatthemeetingswouldhavedelaysforNorthernCalifornia marily through viewing tech- 9,500memberofficeslocatedtobevirtual,butasMarchimporters and exporters and so nology. While the Robots, asin194countries.Foundedbynoted, they had seen a numberthe decision by CMA will help befits the title, are the centerpieceDavidYokeumin1998,theof virtual meetings but nothingOaklandandNorthernCalifor-of Asimovs story and the featureWCAWorld[wcaworld.com]onthescaleof3,500mem- GSC Logistics Harbor Truckingnia shippers. I think this is also a most often remembered [and imi- has pioneered networking andbers. The immediate goal wasPresident Dave Arsenault reflection of a growing trend by tated], viewing is perhaps theinmanyrespectshasbecometofindthesoftwaremeetingimporters and exporters to build one aspect of the plot that mostthemodelemulatednotonlysystem to handle both the scalewarehouse space closer to their accurately translates into todaysby other freight forwarding net- andstyleofaWCAconfer- Cma Cgm F IrStp ort oF customers.Youhaveseenthis virtualrealitytechnology.Andworksbutotherbusinesssec- ence.TheWCAhadchosenaC all sincetheopeningofthewid-its likely as the New Year 2020tors as well. Among the WCAsUS-based company to hold theInaninterview,Arsenaultened Panama Canal and with the dawned,fewofusanticipatedinnovationswasthedevelop- virtual conferences and We hadwho took over as GSC presidentgrowth of import cargoes arriv-howimportantAsimovscon- ment of a sophisticated systemtheweakpartofthecalendarinJanuary,toldAJOT:Wereing from Asian to ports in the cept of virtual reality technologyof conferences. At their core, the[smaller conferences ] to test thealready hearing from customersU.S. Gulf and in the Southeast.would become as Covid-19 pan- WCAs conferences are designedplatform, March said. whoarerequestingtoexpand demiclockdownsturnedspareto provide a forum for one-on- The WCA chose the GAAourexistingpartnershipsinH owardt ermInalb allparkbedrooms,kitchentablesandone business meetings between[Global Affinity Conference] asorder to accommodate increasedt HreatenSn ewg rowtHdining rooms into offices. members. But from a wider per- their first test on the new systemcargovolumesscheduledtoArsenault said that the new For those companies engagedspective,thegatheringsenablein June with an expected atten- arrive on those ships. first call status for the Port Oak-in international shipping and trade,theforwarderstomeetinfor- dance of around 300. The GAAArsenaultspentmorethanland could be jeopardized if the 2020 became the Year of Livingmally to discuss industry issues.testpointedoutanumberofadecadewithCharlotte,NC- City of Oakland proceeds with Virtually, as dozens of trade showsInthecaseoftheWCAwithproblems, the biggest difficulty,basedSea-LandServiceandlocating the Oakland As base-were cancelled due to pandemicconferencesregularlyattended(VIRTUALLYcontinued onalsoservedaspresidentand(HAILScontinued on initiated travel restrictions. by over 2,000 members, recreat- page 23) chief executive officer of Hyun- page 23)Forthemanybusinesses engagedintheinternational movement of goods, the cancel-lations represented a major blow totheirannualbusinesscal-endar.Inmanyrespects,these meetings were a critical part of a companys annual planning: a chance to talk face-to-face with colleaguesandcompetitorson the state-of-the-industry as well establishing new business links around the world.Innoaspectofshipping and trade are trade conferences andexhibitionsmoreessential than to the international freight forwardingcommunitypar-ticularly the independent freight forwarders. International freight forwardersaretheultimate middle man in the global move-ment of goods. Forwarders are instrumental in providing com-pliance with the complex trade customs procedures and under-standingofthetransportation servicesofeachnationinthe supplychain.Whilethelargercustoms brokers&freight forwarders3PLs are often the most visible faceofinternationalbusiness, inrealitythesmallerindepen- www . jfmoran.com: 800.944.1041dentforwardersareoftenthe gatekeepers for trade for the'