For the first time in two years, the annual AirCargo Conference was back in full swing, with AirCargo 2022 being held in New Orleans. None of us who were in Nashville in January 2020 for the last in-person event could’ve predicted the distancing our country faced over the last two years. The nearly 500 people that were at this year’s conference were excited to see one another again, and for all the individual and video meetings we’ve had during our period of distancing, there’s just no substitute for being around a lot of your friends, colleagues, and customers.
This year Global K9 sponsored a caricature artist as well as banners and signage outside of the exhibition hall. Along with this, we hosted a hospitality suite where we debuted our new website and video showcasing our explosive detection canine services.
The opportunity to speak privately with current and prospective customers in a quieter, more intimate setting allowed us to have discussions that were more meaningful, detailed, and honest. We feel very positive about the overall time spent with everyone.
The work we do in the air cargo sector is so important to maintaining the global flow of commerce, especially since last July when the requirement came into place that all cargo must be screened, regardless of whether it is on a passenger or cargo aircraft. For our ground handling and airline customers, we offered reassurance that we are maintaining our position at the forefront of the industry’s needs as we continue to train new classes of recruits at our corporate training center in Opelika, AL. Once trained and deployed, these new teams help meet the increasing demands as passenger flights slowly return and freighters and charters continue operating unabated.
Many shared that they have seen a decline in the amount of pre-screened cargo that they are receiving, and we believe that we can provide screening and workforce solutions to solve that. Forwarders who screen cargo can take advantage of later lockouts, less handling and control screening costs themselves.
While canine screening offers unparalleled accuracy and efficiencies, we understand that sometimes canines are unable to complete the mission because of the type of commodity or the operating environment where the cargo must be screened. In these situations, we know that many of our customers, and potential customers, may have technologies in their facilities to support these commodities and environments but the technology is being underutilized, and in some cases, not utilized at all. To help bridge this gap, Global K9 is now offering trained and certified ETD and ETS operators for alarm resolution, providing an important all-in-one solution of canine screening and alarm resolution when time is of the essence. In point of fact, where air cargo is concerned, time is always of the essence.
Thanks to everyone in New Orleans and thanks to AirCargo for putting on an amazing event. Thanks as well to this foursome who brought home the golf tournament championship trophy with a blistering 11-under 61 that they insist (like the fish that got away) could’ve been even lower.
