More than 300 of the most important senior executives in the global postal and parcel industrygathered in Paris last week for the annual World Mail & Express Europe conference, organiser
Triangle Management Services said.Top-calibre keynote speakers including Jean-Paul Bailly, Chairman of host sponsors La Poste,Michael J. Critelli, Chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes, and Klaus Knappik, Chairman of theDivisional Board at Deutsche Post, were among the main attractions at the industry’s premier annualevent. Among the delegates were the leaders of more than 30 national postal operators includingseven from the Middle East and Africa, and others from as far afield as Brazil, USA and Japan. Alsoin attendance was a host of other Chief Executives, VP’s and directors drawn by the livelyconference agenda and the various business networking opportunities on offer.
The focus at this year’s conference was on the new realities and new challenges facing the mailand express industry in Europe, and the necessity for innovation, growth and diversification wasaddressed from a number of viewpoints. Planned Europe-wide postal liberalisation in 2009 was asubject that cropped up regularly, although the majority of the delegates were sceptical that itwould happen on time. There was a general acceptance that cross-border barriers need to be lowered,coupled with a fear that national protectionism is actually growing at present (particularly in theform of non-tariff barriers) and that customers will be the losers if this trend continues.
Decision-makers in the European posts were reminded that the downstream access model, soprominent particularly in the UK, would not suit many other European countries, while over aquarter of delegates felt that mail would not even be the core business of posts in ten years’time. Responding to another of the interactive voting questions, 90% of the audience supported theconcept of a pan-European postal operator, and in another session speakers called for cross-borderbarcoding standards, track and trace and Quality of Service measurement for bulk mail. Another keytheme to come out of many of the sessions was that of co-operation, amongst both operators andsuppliers, which will be critical to progress if the new realities and challenges are to be faced.Overall, a strong sense of positivity and optimism emerged from the conference hall, and delegatesleft with much to ponder from a stimulating two days at World Mail & Express Europe 2006.
On the eve of the conference, the 7th annual World Mail Awards were presented at an excitingGala Dinner and Awards ceremony in Paris. Amongst the highlights of the evening were the two awardsfor E-commerce and Technology won by Korea Post, and the genuine international flavour of theevening with companies from nine different countries across five continents walking away with duerecognition for their work. The prestigious Industry Leadership award, sponsored by Pitney Bowes,was given to Jack Potter, Postmaster General and CEO of the US Postal Service for his outstandingrecord over many years. Ten awards were presented on the night before a large and enthusiasticaudience, with a further 21 companies from around the world highly commended for their achievementover the past year.
The 2007 World Mail & Express Europe event will be held in London on 21-23 May next year,starting with the World Mail Awards on the evening before conference.
