Our 2014 Annual Summit took place from 16-18 November at the Crowne Plaza St Peter's Hotel in Rome with 160 CEOs and Senior Managers from 75+ countries in attendance. We were delighted to host such a large attendance as this is only our 4th meeting and we feel honored that so many Members took the time and commitment to attend our Rome gathering. You can see photos from our gathering here: Gala Dinner and Meeting Room.

As delegates started to arrive, over 100 of us met on Sunday morning for a tour of Rome, where we saw Aventine's Hill and the Palatine, the Colosseum and then Capitoline Hill to admire the Roman Forum, the Ara Coeli Square and Piazza Veneziam and the famous stairs designed by Michelangelo. We then continued to Piazza Navona, built over the ruins of Domizian Stadium with the beautiful fountain of the four rivers: Ganges, Nile, Danube and Plate. The view from Capitol Hill did not fail to impress and we went back to the hotel feeling that we knew Rome a little bit better. It was also a great opportunity to spend time with our overseas partners in an informal setting before the start of our official meeting.

Our first evening together was attended by over 180 guests and started with welcome drinks as delegates collected name badges. Then the moment came when the doors to the Gala Dinner were opened and we were met by Roman Soldiers and Gladiators. Guests found their tables and were served with a 4 course dinner. Our Italian Hosts sponsored some spectacular entertainment showcasing a variety of performers including a gladiator fight, a performance from Cabaret, salsa, pole, hip hop, tango dances and a burlesque show. See photos.

As this was our 4th gathering, many guests knew each other already and as important as it is to maintain these relations, it is also vital at an event like this to interact effectively. So this year, we introduced a new networking game. Each guest was given a pack of 6 PCN playing cards and they then swapped cards with each other until they had the full set. This enabled guests to network and was an ice breaker for those who were meeting for the first time. The official meeting began on Monday with an update from the PCN Head Office and delegates then took part in over 2000 individual meetings, aided by our PCN Countdown Clock which allows delegates to manage their time during these vital sessions. See photos.

On Monday evening, after a busy day in the meeting room, we enjoyed a pasta/pizza dinner show at La Carovana with the artists of Gruppo Storico Romano, where we saw gladiator fights and dances typical of Ancient Rome. There was also some fun audience participation from Members! As well as discussing new and existing business, another positive to be taken from our gathering … we raised $3,672 for the The Dream Trust in India. Over the past 3 years we have raised a total of $13,512 for The Dream Trust, whose main object is to fund life-saving insulin for poor children with Type 1 Diabetes. Read more.

PCN President, Rachel Humphrey added "Again, many thanks to all those who attended, for your hard work, for your commitment to PCN and for making our trip to Rome such a memorable experience."

The day after the meeting, the event was featured on the front page of Il Messaggero Marittimo, a specialized newspaper that reports the latest news and information to shipping agents, freight forwarders, transporters, industries, banks, importers & exporters.