Port business development & marketing

Modern port authorities are transforming to hybrid organisations that are, next to providing operations and port services, playing a key role as the managing bodies searching for and capturing new markets and products.

This seminar on Port Business Development and Marketing focuses on bringing the port to the market, gathering insights in customer needs, identifying the unique selling points and positioning the port in the marketplace. It gathers those elements that shape the marketing and communication plans and, notably, the basic concepts related to the strategic mission of a port authority.

WHY THIS PROGRAMME?

The programme on Port Business Development and Marketing will zoom in at the business development actions and marketing activities that will try to attract business wherever possible in order to encourage and stimulate trade and so traffic for the development of the port. It will guide the future development of the participants’s ports and enable them to give the port’s stakeholders and the wider community a clear picture of the port’s future plans, requirements and responsibilities.

WITH THIS PROGRAMME, YOU WILL

• Understand the importance of bringing the port to the market, gathering insight in customer needs, identifying the unique selling points and positioning the port in the marketplace,
• Be familiar with commercial strategy formulation by means of identifying customer needs, conducting market studies to map port potential, and marketing techniques to present and use the port’s unique selling proposition,
• Be able to identify the business plan actions to follow up on identified market opportunities,
• Be able to picture the short to medium and long term development plans of your port, in order to provide the port’s stakeholders and wider community a clearer understanding of (i) forecast trade volumes, (ii) infrastructure improvements required by the port, and (iii) the environmental and social principles the port will follow in its development and facilitation of port growth,
• Know how to build a solid communication strategy, and based on that, interact and communicate with port users and the community through all types of modern media,

During this programme, we will go into the Flanders port area (Port of Antwerp, North Sea Port, Port of Zeebrugge) to get first-hand insights and discuss with the local experts in commercial port development and marketing and communication in the port sector.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This programme is targeted towards experienced port professionals who are directly or indirectly facing challenges regarding (commercial) port and terminal development, maritime business intelligence, port promotion, etc

The topics discussed are relevant to

• Managers of port authorities that are active in commercial and sustainable port development strategy
• Commercial staff and business development managers of port operating companies,
• Staff of ministries of transport or maritime affairs working on port promotion, stakeholder management, community management, etc.

Go to the registration page

Course fee: €4.000
The registration fee covers the inscription fee, documentation, local transport during seminar days, all meals (full board), accommodation at the Mercure City South Antwerp****(14d/13n) and insurance.
International transport, transport between the airport and the hotel, extra meals and nights at the hotel are at your own expense. Extra nights at the hotel need to be arranged directly with the reservation desk of the hotel: HB664-RE@accor.com

Please note that the registration fee must be received by APEC in full; meaning all national and international taxes, bank costs etc. need te be covered by the participant.
Kindly take this into account when completing the transfer, as a deficit in the amount received by APEC will mean admission to the seminar will be denied.

Final date to apply for a scholarship: 30/9/2020