FIATA
International Federation of
Freight Forwarders Associations
The global voice of freight logistics

All you need to know about the 2026 FIATA HQ Meeting

FIATA e-flash
24 March 2026

Practical Information

The 2026 FIATA HQ Meeting, titled "Logistics in Transition: Bringing Knowledge to Action" will take place 30 March - 2 April 2026 at the Geneva International Conference Center (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Not registered yet? Register now to secure your spot!

The 2026 FIATA HQ Meeting will adopt a variety of formats to match the depth and nature of each topic — panels for high-level knowledge sharing, workshops for dynamic discussion and interaction, and the Coffee & Learn sessions for practical, hands-on conversations ensuring every participant walks away with tangible, actionable outcomes.

What to Expect: Geneva in Late March

End of March to early April brings early spring conditions to Geneva. Expect daytime temperatures of 10–16°C, with cooler mornings and evenings — a light jacket and umbrella are recommended.

What to Pack
🧳 Business attire for sessions and social events
💼 Business cards for professional networking
🔌 Chargers for all electronic devices
🧥 Light coat or jacket
👟 Comfortable shoes
☂️ Umbrella
🧴 Essential personal items

Discover the Programme!

Monday, 30 March, 9:00-10:30

Opening Session

The Opening Session will set the strategic context for the 2026 FIATA HQ Meeting, framing discussions against a rapidly evolving global economic and geopolitical landscape.
 
In a context of heightened uncertainty, inflationary pressures, and shifting trade dynamics, this panel will explore how macroeconomic disruption is reshaping global supply chains. From the strategic importance of key chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz to the reconfiguration of trade flows across Asia, Europe and beyond, the session will assess the risks and opportunities facing the sector.

Panellists will examine how supply chain diversification is redefining trade corridors, with sourcing patterns shifting across Southeast Asia and new routing dynamics emerging between China, Europe and the Americas. The discussion will also consider how logistics networks have adapted to recent disruptions — including the Red Sea crisis — and why some of these structural changes may persist.
 
With reference to recent freight rate volatility and evolving port and inland infrastructure dynamics, the session will highlight the growing importance of resilience, connectivity, and inland capacity in global logistics networks.
 
Speakers:

  • Mr Fabrizio Quirighetti, CIO & Head of Multi-Asset, DECALIA SA
  • Ms Antonella Teodoro, Senior Consultant, MDS Transmodal
  • Ms Ganyi Zhang, Research Expert, HHLA Next

Monday, 30 March, 11:00-12:30

Driving Competitiveness of Multimodal Corridors

This workshop will explore practical ways to strengthen the efficiency, resilience, and competitiveness of trade corridors, grounded in real operational experience across multimodal transport.

Building on OECD insights and private-sector engagement, the session will highlight both progress — including improved coordination and border processes — and persistent challenges such as regulatory fragmentation, uneven implementation, and route unpredictability. It will bring together perspectives from across road, rail and logistics to reflect the realities of multimodal corridor operations. Key themes will include digitalisation as one of several enablers of performance, alongside infrastructure, connectivity, and regulatory coherence. Examples from ongoing pilots and developments across Central Asia, Türkiye, China and the GCC will illustrate both opportunities and constraints.

The workshop will translate these insights into practical guidance and actionable inputs for the industry, equipping freight forwarders with tools to navigate corridor challenges while supporting the development of FIATA’s Corridor Handbook and targeted advocacy to address key operational bottlenecks.

Speakers include:

  • Dr Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
  • Mr Grégory Lecomte, Head of Unit and Senior Policy Analyst, Eurasia division, OECD
  • Ms Olena Oleksiy, Chairperson of the Commission on Transport Law, the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD)
  • Ms Tatiana Rey-Bellet, Director – TIR & Transit, International Road Transport Union (IRU)

Monday, 30 March, 14:00-15:30

Mastering Risk Management in Airfreight

This session will examine how freight forwarders can proactively understand and manage legal, operational, and compliance risks in an increasingly complex airfreight environment. Through two focused workshop discussions, participants will gain practical guidance on strengthening contractual practices while also addressing evolving safety and security requirements that directly impact daily operations and commercial exposure.

(1) Thematic 1: Contractual practice and legal considerations
This session will focus on contractual and liability considerations, examining the practical application of the Montreal Convention across jurisdictions, including differences in interpretation, time limits, and interaction with national law. It will also address broader risk drivers such as sanctions, tariffs, insurance coverage, sustainability, and cyber risks, alongside the growing importance of aligning contracts with operational realities — including digital processes and air waybill practices – to better support forwarders in their risk management strategies.

(2) Thematic 2: Advancing safety and security in airfreight
This session will focus on how forwarders can strengthen risk management through better data quality, clearer workflows, and enhanced coordination across carriers, ground handlers, and intermediaries. Topics will include dangerous goods compliance, data inconsistencies, and the role of both AI-supported tools and human oversight in identifying risks. The discussion will also address increasing regulatory demands around data, as well as emerging questions around data ownership, access, and use. 

Speakers include:

  • Mr Yavuz Aymelek, Cargo Hub Operations Manager, Turkish Cargo
  • Mr Laurent Chassot, Partner Aerospace, HFW
  • Ms Gamze Ete Kuran, Head of Compliance and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), MNG Airlines
  • Mr Markus Muecke, Managing Director, Im3pact AG
  • Ms Katharina de Rességuier, Lawyer in the Transportation, Aviation & Logistics Practice Group at Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein (ASD)
  • Ms Marie Seco-Köppen, Executive Director, Cargo iQ

Monday, 30 March, 16:00-18:00

FIATA Working Group Meetings

The FIATA Working Group Sea, Road and Rail will hold separate sessions to review progress made to date and outline priorities for the future — focusing on sector-specific challenges, member-driven solutions, and actionable next steps aligned with FIATA’s global strategy.

Tuesday, 31 March, 8:00-8:45

Coffee & Learn - Know your FIATA: Understanding FIATA Governance and Engagement

FIATA is a global organisation representing over 100 Association Members across diverse territories and close to 5,000 Individual Members. Its work is guided by a robust governance framework—statutes, rules, and procedures that ensure fairness, transparency, and forward looking decision making.

Given the diversity of its membership and the wide range of expectations and practices worldwide, FIATA places great importance on maintaining open and inclusive communication channels within a structured and compliant framework. These channels allow any Association Member—whether at regional or global level—to share ideas with the leadership, participate in discussions, contribute proposals, and engage meaningfully with the organisation. Once Members grasp how FIATA’s governance functions, it becomes clear just how straightforward and accessible it is to submit proposals and contribute to FIATA’s bodies. And while some may feel that FIATA hosts many meetings, this simply reflects the organisation’s strong commitment to remaining close to its Members—wherever they are in the world.

This session offers an engaging introduction to how FIATA operates: from its governance structure and inclusive decision making processes to the various mechanisms that support representation and member input. Participants will gain a practical understanding of how FIATA’s bodies interact, how initiatives move from idea to decision, and how Members can actively take part in shaping FIATA’s priorities and direction. The session will also highlight how Members can maximise the value of their FIATA membership for the benefit of their own communities.

Tuesday, 31 March, 9:00-10:30

Building Effective Digital Learning

This session looks at what defines quality digital learning and what it means for training providers. It will outline the main steps for moving programmes online and consider how the FIATA Minimum Standards can be applied in a digital environment.

Speaker:

  • Mr Alperen Güler, FIATA Logistics Institute Chair (FLI)

Tuesday, 31 March, 11:00-12:30

Cross-Border Action Against Illicit Trade

This session explores how freight forwarders can help prevent illicit trade through cross-border cooperation. It will highlight practical measures, partnerships with authorities, and approaches to strengthen supply chain security.

Speaker includes:

  • Mr Gautier Huysentruyt, Global Product Manager, SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA 
  • Dr Piotr Stryszowski, Head of Unit, OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate
  • Mr Andreas Wilhelm, Global Head of Security & Governmental Affairs, Kuehne + Nagel Management AG

Tuesday, 31 March, 13:15-13:55

Coffee & Learn - eFBL User Clinic: Practical Demo, Member Support and Insurance Insights

This hands-on clinic will provide existing and potential eFBL users, as well as association representatives, with a live demonstration of the eFBL and practical guidance on its use in day-to-day operations. Building on the newly released eFBL User Guide, the session will also support associations in understanding how to explain and promote the eFBL to their members, and will introduce the insured eFBL, including key liability insurance considerations and benefits.

Speakers include:

  • Mr Sergio Moral Ruiz, Software Engineer, Twistlab

Tuesday, 31 March, 14:00-15:30

Turning Sustainable Compliance into Resilience

This session examines how freight forwarders can respond to evolving sustainability requirements. It covers the European Union perspective, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its financial implications, and highlights the global challenge of decarbonisation, given that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has postponed implementing harmonised binding measures. The discussion will include capacity building and strategies for adapting business processes in this uncertain environment.

Speaker includes:

  • Mr Jan-Joost Den Brinker, Vice-President of the International Association for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (IACBAM)
  • Ms Anna Larsson, Director Global Communications & General Manager Europe, World Shipping Council

Tuesday, 31 March, 16:00-18:00

FIATA Regional Committee Meetings: Turning Global Strategy into Regional Action

These sessions will convene the FIATA Regional Committees (Africa & Middle East, Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe) in a joint plenary to align on FIATA’s key priorities before moving into regional break out discussions. Each region will then translate the global strategic direction into concrete local action, assess its current state, identify practical next steps, and report back to the plenary to foster shared learning, coordination, and a coherent global approach.

To support this work—and to help regions expand their participation in high impact regional processes and fora—FIATA will introduce a new regional matrix, initiated by one of its Regional Vice Presidents. This tool will assess each region’s status, needs, and key performance indicators, contributing to a comprehensive regional mapping. Implemented consistently across all regions, the matrix will provide a structured and harmonised framework to guide the development of regional activities in close synergy with FIATA’s global support.

This approach represents another important step in building a strong and common methodology to better serve our community locally, in line with the motto: Think global, act local.

Wednesday, 1 April, 9:00-10:30

Unlocking Seamless Multimodal Trade in the Digital Age: the new NCD Convention

This session will explore how the UNCITRAL Negotiable Cargo Documents (NCD) Convention enables more seamless, secure, and efficient multimodal trade through a modern, opt-in legal framework for negotiable cargo documents, including the FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (FBL) and eFBL. 

Focusing on practical application, the discussion will highlight how NCDs can enhance flexibility in trade finance, support operations in times of disruption, and facilitate smoother cross-border and corridor-based trade. Drawing on real-world experience — including MLETR pilots and emerging use cases across key corridors — it will examine both the opportunities and challenges of implementation, particularly in jurisdictions where legal and banking frameworks for electronic documents are still evolving.

Panellists will address how NCDs interact with existing legal frameworks and industry practices, including implications for claims handling, contractual arrangements, and risk allocation, and provide practical guidance on managing risks and ensuring robust documentation. The session will also highlight the opportunity for freight forwarders to strengthen their value proposition by supporting shippers with more flexible, multimodal trade finance solutions.

Speakers include:

  • Mr James Hookham, Secretary General and Director of the Global Shippers Forum (GSF)
  • Ms Alison Wixley, Senior Claims Executive, TT Club
  • Mr Milot Ahma, Principal Counsel - Legal Transition, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Wednesday, 1 April, 11:00-12:30

De Minimis and E-Commerce in Practice: What Freight Forwarders Need to Know

This workshop will examine how de minimis regimes and evolving e-commerce regulatory approaches are reshaping the handling of shipments — and what this means for freight forwarders in practice.

Focusing on operational realities, the session will explore key challenges and opportunities, including increasing data requirements, changing customs processes, and heightened expectations around risk management and compliance. It will provide practical insights to help forwarders navigate de minimis thresholds while maintaining efficient and compliant e-commerce flows.
The discussion will also highlight FIATA’s ongoing work at the WCO on e-commerce and data frameworks, ensuring that the freight forwarding perspective is reflected in emerging international approaches.

Speaker includes:

  • Ms Paula Baena, Global Policy Lead - Customs. International Chamber of Commerce
  • Mr Nicolas Collart, Chief Trade Operations & Compliance Officer, Customs Support Group
  • Mr Javier Garcia, Customs, Facilitation and Standards Programme Manager, Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Wednesday, 1 April, 13:15-13:55

Coffee & Learn – Leveraging the Value of Data

An interactive session exploring how freight forwarders can turn data into a strategic advantage. In a context where trade continues to flow despite disruption, the session will examine how shipping line behaviour, capacity deployment, and route adjustments can provide early signals of shifting trade dynamics — often ahead of traditional data — and how these changes impact global trade flows and market access. The session will demonstrate how data can move from insight to control — enabling forwarders to anticipate change, strengthen resilience, and deliver greater value.

Designed as a collaborative discussion, the session will actively capture member insights and operational needs to help shape a potential joint FIATA–MDS Transmodal initiative, including tools such as scenario modelling and interactive indices to support risk management and strategic decision-making. 

Speaker:

  • Ms Antonella Teodoro, Senior Consultant, MDS Transmodal

Wednesday, 1 April, 14:00-15:30

Unlocking Value with Emerging Technologies in Freight Forwarding

This session will explore how freight forwarders can leverage emerging technologies — including AI, automation, and data-driven solutions — to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and strengthen compliance across day-to-day operations.

Through practical use cases, the discussion will highlight how technology is being applied across the logistics ecosystem, from customs processes and product classification to data exchange and interoperability. Particular attention will be given to the growing impact of regulatory requirements on technology adoption, including increasing expectations around data accuracy, traceability, and accountability. The session will explore how forwarders can adapt to these developments — and how better data upfront can help reduce operational risks such as delays, demurrage, and compliance issues.

Panellists will also address practical challenges, including integration across systems, the role of APIs, and how to assess and trust technology providers in a rapidly evolving landscape. Overall, the session will demonstrate how forwarders can move beyond digitalisation as a concept to unlock tangible value — improving operational performance, managing risk more effectively, and delivering greater transparency to customers.

Speakers include:

  • Mr Yann Barbarroux, CEO and Founder of Otonomi
  • Ms Carolynn Bernier, Computer Engineer and Researcher, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)
  • Mr Julio Cantú, Co-Founder and CEO, ADUANAPP
  • Mr Pierre-Antoine Champin, Principal Data Strategist, Word Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
  • Mr Vitaly Smilianets, Founder and CEO of AWERY Aviation Software

Simultaneously, participants and young logistics professionals will have two dedicated sessions on Mastering Public Speaking followed by the Competition Award Ceremony.

Mastering Public Speaking & Competition Award Ceremony

14:00 - 14:45 Mastering Public Speaking

Speaker:

  • Ms Kristy Guo, Legacy architech - Global logistics CEO - CEO Energy & Destiny Coach, Signature Global Network

Followed by

14:45-15:30 GS3 Competition Award Ceremony
This session combines an interactive public speaking workshop led by an industry professional with the award ceremony of the Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Competition (GS3). Participants will gain practical communication skills and celebrate the achievements of the competition winners.

Wednesday, 1 April, 16:00-17:30

Closing Session

The session will wrap up the event, highlighting key insights, recognising contributions, and emphasising next steps for collaboration and action across the sector. 

Social Events

The 2026 FIATA HQ Meeting is designed with connection in mind. From coffee breaks and lunches to dedicated social events, there will be ample opportunity to meet, exchange, and build relationships with colleagues from across the global freight forwarding community.

Welcome Cocktail
Day one will close with a welcome cocktail, the perfect opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new ones. Because the best meetings often start before the first session does.

Italian Night
To close out the programme, participants are invited to an Italian Night, a convivial evening of great food and great company. The perfect setting to reflect on three days of insight and discussions, and to raise a glass to the upcoming 2026 FIATA World Congress.

FIATA Events App

Make the most of your experience in Geneva with the FIATA Events App — the go-to tool for navigating the 2026 FIATA HQ Meeting.

Once downloaded, the app gives you instant access to the full programme, session details, speaker information, photos and more. Stay on top of any last-minute changes with real-time updates and personalised notifications, and use the built-in networking tools to connect with fellow delegates throughout the event.

Download the App here for Android Users

Download the App here for iOS Users

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