Neptune Cargo Network recently held its 2nd Annual Partnership Meeting last February 26 – March 01, 2018 at Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai, China. It was a successful 4-day event of face-to-face meetings and social programs like welcome cocktail, sunset cocktail, and city tour that attended by almost 200 sea freight forwarders and consolidators from different parts of the globe.

Neptune Cargo Network opened the registration on February 26, 2018, at 10 AM in the hotel lobby. The registration area instantly became full when the delegates arrived to register and get their conference kit. In the evening, Neptune hosted a candle-light welcome cocktail reception for all the delegates in the lower lobby of the hotel. The venue was not enclosed in a room yet it has a cozy ambiance that made the mood of the program even more relaxing. The welcome cocktail reception was a great occasion to break the ice and give the delegates the moment to relax before the formal meetings in the following days.

After the reception, Neptune hosted an exclusive Neptune VIP Dinner where all the VIPs and other significant persons in the network were invited for an intimate dinner in the VUE Dining located at the 32nd floor of the hotel. Indeed, everyone had a good night over good food and drinks served in the VUE Dining.

The main program of the Neptune event kicked-off with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Neptune Cargo Network directors, Christian Raeuber and Nils Walle, and they were joined by the event sponsors such as Safety Group, Cardinal Maritime Ltd, FreightBridge Logistics Pvt Ltd, CYTS-Spirit Logistics Ltd., Lucky Logistics Group Ltd., Worldlink Cargo Services Sdn Bhd, and Siamar NVOCC.

Afterward, everyone was gathered in the Grand Ballroom for the main program started from the network updates then followed by the keynote speeches, and workshops. In the formal network updates, Nils Walle had the chance to share with all the members and observers the milestone that Neptune Cargo Network has already gone through. He further shared with everyone the future plans that are lined up for the network. A familiar face in the industry, Mark Millar, was also present in the event to share his insights on the topic of Turbulent Times for Ocean Freight.

Mark also led the very first workshop conducted by Neptune Cargo Network.The workshop was about How to develop LCL Business with Neptune Members?, and it was divided into 2 components: Business Development Workshop and Networking Beyond Networks. In the first part of the workshop, the delegates were grouped according to either sea freight or LCL category. Each round table had 10 members and 1 topic to discuss within the group. The topics given in the workshop were How to develop business with my Neptune partners?, When does it make sense to be exclusive or non-exclusive with partners?, How can we incentivize nominations and business with the network?, and What are the new trending topics you wish Neptune will pursue?. The second part of the workshop was the presentation of all the groups with their shared ideas and insights. Each group had one representative to present of what they had discussed during the group discussion at the stage. Mark also facilitated the group sharing as they discussed the topics accordingly. And finally, before the morning session ended, Eugene Reznikov of Quitoss had his speech about the Digitalization in the Freight Forwarding Industry.

After lunch, the first face-to-face meeting session sponsored by Cardinal Maritime Ltd started at 1 PM. Hundreds of meetings were scheduled that day and many delegates were able to start new business partnerships as well as further strengthens existing business ties.

At dusk, Neptune hosted the Sunset Cocktail Reception at the VUE Bar located at the 32nd floor. The place has an open-air terrace and a Jacuzzi that’s very enticing. The delegates were able to unwind with their Neptune friends while taking the chance to see the breathtaking view of the Bund and both sides of Huang Pu river.

Amidst the dropping temperature outside the hotel, it did not hinder everyone to tour the Yu Garden which is the most famous classical garden in Shanghai. The delegates also got the chance to roam around the bustling alley in Shanghai Old Town which is just located near the Yu Garden. There were beautiful sceneries, shops, and restaurants that were visited during the entire tour.

There was a different event format this year as Neptune decided to have another face-to-face session in the afternoon. The 3rd day was used to be a day full of social activities but this year, Neptune wanted to maximize the time and give the delegates more business opportunities through face-to-face meetings.

The last day of the event finally came. It was a full day face-to-face meetings and everyone seemed to be busy attending their last meetings. It was also the time to say goodbye to Neptune friends, acquaintances and business partners that have come across throughout the event.

Neptune Cargo Network proudly says that the recently concluded 2nd Annual Partnership Meeting was a very successful event where new programs like the workshops were introduced, and almost 200 agents attended the conference. Neptune sincerely extends its deepest gratitude to the sponsors, VIP, the hotel, and most importantly, to all the loyal members and delegates who have continuously shown their support to the network.