2018 Annual Summit in Costa Rica
Our 8th Annual Summit was held from 18-20 November 2018 in Costa Rica, an excellent location for business at the heart of the Americas. See a collection of photos from our:
We held what we believe to be the greenest meeting in the industry’s history! Most network meetings use 100s of single use plastic water bottles over their duration, which can take between 400 and 1,000 years to decompose.
To help battle plastic pollution, PCN provided their delegates with BPA free reusable aluminium bottles and the hotel supplied pitchers of water in the conference room.
Mr Ivo Antonio Mafra, President of DC Logistics in Brazil said “The reusable bottles are a great idea, very easy to use in the meeting room. I will take mine back with me - it keeps the water fresh and cold, a well-made product.”
PCN also gave their delegates reusable, recyclable non-woven Conference Bags saving the many standard plastic bags used to carry company brochures from sitting in a landfill. It takes less energy to create nonwoven polypropylene bags than is used to create cotton bags and they were also very popular.
The large international event was held at the Real InterContinental in San José who constantly monitor their diesel boilers so that the majority of the time the biomass boiler (alternative energy) is used, thus minimising fossil fuel consumption. During 2018, Costa Rica’s new president Carlos Alvarado announced a ban on fossil fuels, establishing the small country as a major trailblazer in the global fight against climate change.
As many PCN Members are working in the renewable energy field, and the PCN Head Office holds an ISO 14001 Environmental Management certificate – this was an apt and inspiring country to host our meeting.
Ahead of our official meeting, over 100 guests traveled in small groups with professional licensed English speaking guides on a City Tour which included the National Museum and the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. In the evening, we gathered for an elegant Gala Banquet with entertainment from a fantastic band, Grupo Marfil, who played reggae, soca, soul and Latin music and were sponsored by 3p Logistics Group.
On Monday morning, the meeting was officially opened by PCN President/C.E.O., Rachel Humphrey, whose presentation is available in the Members Area. Special Guest, James Celano of Wise Tech (read more) then introduced the Cargo Wise One system and it's benefits to our network.
We were honoured to welcome Fernanda from The Ministry of Foreign Trade as an Observer during our Opening Session. The Ministry of Foreign Trade or COMEX is the governmental institution responsible for defining and managing foreign trade policy and foreign investment in the country. COMEX also dictates policy concerning exports and investments and facilitates bilateral and multilateral negotiations for signing treaties and conventions on these matters.
Our guests then settled into their individual 20-minute business meetings which were arranged prior to arrival using our PCN Meeting Manager system. During these important sessions, delegates discussed current business, exchanged information and investigated possible collaborations together. These crucial meetings provided an opportunity to review current and upcoming government and private projects in the manufacturing, oil and gas, infrastructure, construction, power and energy sectors among others.
Our evening dinner excursion was to Tiquicia Restuarant, perched high above the mountains overlooking the Central Valley, where the lights emanated from the capital. We were introduced to Costa Rican Folklore through various dances and marimba music and enjoyed a delicious dinner buffet with a menu that reflects the typical dishes of the region. See online flyer.
Our 2nd day started with an entertaining 10-year industry recap from HLPFI's Co-Founder and Managing Editor, Ian Matheson. HLPFI now has a distribution of over 20,000 and their website is a wealth of information, news and views. Ian was also available during the day and delegates took advantage of speaking to him in person.
PCN recognises the importance of actively contributing to charitable causes and that a small effort from each Member can make a big impact to those in need. The PCN Foundation has raised over US $30,000 since it began read more. During the registration for our 2018 Annual Summit, we raised over $3000 for EDPD, a grassroots Type 1 diabetes charity - please click here for details.
PCN President/C.E.O., Rachel Humphrey said “I must say that it is a great pleasure working with a group that is so passionate about their industry and the specialist services that their companies provide. Our organisation has grown impressively in strength and reputation since we established in August 2010. I am incredibly proud of PCN and all our Members."
