Steve Parker’s Column
An inspirational Awards event T here are many reasons why I love working at BIFA, and the BIFA Freight Service Awards is very much one of them. From the receipt of entries, through the judging process to the announcement of the winners at the ceremony in January, I am inspired by the great work being carried out by our Members.
BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 00391973. VAT Registration: 216476363) Director General Steve Parker s.parker@bifa.org Member Policy & Compliance Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Member Support Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Member Services Director Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Member Engagement Director Denise Hill d.hill@bifa.org International Relations Advisor Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Frontier Policy Manager Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Customs Igor Popovics i.popovics@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Sustainable Logistics Mike Jones m.jones@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Sustainable Logistics Jamie McKean j.mckean@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Air David Stroud d.stroud@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Membership Supervisor Sarah Milton s.milton@bifa.org Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Steve Parker, Robert Windsor, David Stroud, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org Sharon Hammond, Igor Popovics, Robert Keen, Denise Hill, Mike Jones, Pawel Jarza, Natalie Pitts Note to media: If you wish to use items in this magazine that are older than one month, please contact the editorial co- ordinator to ensure that the item in question still reflects the current circumstances. Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.
For a number of reasons, the ceremony this year seemed to be one of the best. The atmosphere was spot on right from the start with the opportunity to interact with our sponsors and Members over pre-luncheon drinks, to the buzz created by the presence of BIFAlink TV who were on hand to capture ‘live’ interviews – all had a positive impact. Our host James Cracknell was great, and what a life he has led! He was engaging with a little bit of humour while captivating the audience with
tales of his adventures. We were able to celebrate the finalists and congratulate the winners live on stage. All of these things helped to make it the special day it was. Members might like to know that, as well as our social media releases, the awards attract interest from journalists and many freight publications have since carried articles on the event which, in turn, helps to promote our industry. Whilst talking of industry promotion, I would like to point members to the BIFAlink TV episode released last week highlighting the outputs from the production with ITN Business. Its combined campaign metrics have been very impressive. There have been nearly 700,000 impressions and over 300,000 views of the video, in both the UK and abroad. I would encourage anyone who has not yet seen it to access it at https://business.itn.co.uk/programmes/transforming-logistics- precision-and-purpose/ to see what an excellent programme it is. What’s coming The awards ceremony was all about achievements in 2024 – now we look to 2025. It is almost impossible to know what the new US President is going to do and how this will affect the international world of trade and logistics, but be assured that BIFA will be watching for anything that is likely to impact our industry and will provide Members with guidance as appropriate. Key on the agenda for BIFA this year is to constantly improve our engagement with government and key stakeholders, as well as continuing to grow the interaction with our Members. We have lots of plans to do that. Lastly Let me remind you of our first national conference in nearly 20 years. It is to be held on 14 and 15 May at The Slate conference venue at Warwick University. We already have a number of excellent speakers and guests signed up and we will be releasing details of the agenda over the next few weeks. I would like to encourage you to join us for two days of in-depth discussion on the topics likely to shape the future of your companies. Many have already registered, but you can join them now by visiting https://conference.bifa.org to secure your place. We want this to be a packed event where Members can network with peers and expert commentators before returning to their teams with information to keep them ahead of the curve.
Director General
February 2025 | 3
www.bifa.org
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