World Forwarders Conference

We are pleased to have hosted the first physical meeting for our freight forwarding membership network, the Digital Freight Alliance (DFA). In March, the DP World FLOW Pavilion - Expo 2020 played host to 34 freight forwarding and logistics companies from 12 countries.

The conference offered a valuable opportunity for DFA members to meet and network, as well as hear from DP World as it presented its vision for the future of digital freight forwarding.

At a time when small-to-medium freight forwarders have navigated the challenges of turbulent supply chains, the annual members event offered an opportunity to explore how the DFA may help improve ocean freight procurement. Panel sessions included discussions on the move from physical to digital freight forwarding solutions and exploring the possibilities of container provision. A number of demonstrations took place, including sessions on CARGOES Finance, CARGOES Runner, DUBUY.com and SeaRates software.

Mike Bhaskaran, Chief Operating Officer of Digital Technology, DP World, said: “DP World believes that digital transformation is the future of freight forwarding. Providing digital solutions to the widest possible number of SME independent forwarders is good for trade and economic growth. The aspiration is that DFA membership will exceed 5,000 by the end of 2022, and that there will be increasing engagement both between members, on the SeaRates.com booking platform, and also on policy formulation to help our membership navigate supply chain challenges.”

In a post-event survey, 86% of attendees noted they had enjoyed the event, with 109 new members joining the DFA in the week following the event. The annual members meeting follows the recent news that there are now over 3,000 members of the DFA. This represents substantial growth, from 1,100 members at the start of 2021, to 2,500 by the end of 2021, to 3,300 today.