SITL Europe 2008 will be held from 11 to 14 March 2008 in Paris. There will be 800 exhibitors and more than 25,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, which is being held for the 25th time. In 2008, the Netherlands will be the guest country of honour and the main theme will be New territories for logistics.

The 2008 programme will encompass three key aspects of the logistics industry – innovation, sustainable development, and commercial efficiency. Special emphasis will be placed on international logistics (with a focus on the BRIC group of countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China), urban logistics, rail freight, and emerging businesses (reverse logistics and e-commerce). Each issue will be covered by exhibitions, conferences, the publication of information manuals and guided pathways.

Following Spain in 2002, Germany in 2004 and Italy in 2006, SITL Europe’s guest country of honour in 2008 will be the Netherlands, which – thanks to its transport and logistics expertise in European and worldwide exchanges – will further strengthen the event’s international character. With its high-performance road infrastructure, the Netherlands is an incomparable European logistics platform located at the crossroads of river, sea, road and air traffic.

SITL 2008 will welcome a total of 800 exhibitors, including companies in transport & logistics services, information technologies & systems, logistics infrastructures, and logistics-related real estate, together with a focus on various key regions in Europe. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of overseas shipments, with the presence at the event of sea and air freight forwarders.

“Our objective is to achieve 30% of non-French exhibitors, as compared to 20% two years ago, and to see a rise from 10% to 15% in international visitors, i.e. a 50% increase,” explains Alain Bagnaud, General Manager of the Logistics and Marketing Department at Reed Expositions France.

SITL 2008 will also include an extensive conference programme. Plenary conferences, issue-based conferences and workshops will provide visitors with information, operational solutions and an overview of the market. The opening session will gather European ministers and industry professionals to discuss New territories for logistics – what are the challenges for Europe? It will take place on Tuesday 11 March 2008, from 10am to midday.

Nine other conferences will take place during the four days of the show. The themes will be: Warehouses and sustainable development; Sea transport; Air transport; Messaging; Urban logistics; Rail freight; New strategies for European and international harbours; Sourcing in emerging countries; and E-commerce logistics. In addition, the Pan-European Shippers’ Conference will enable visitors to engage with major international shippers through debates and other exchanges.

The Logistics Innovation Award is organised in partnership with ADEME (the French Environment and Energy Management Agency), AFL (the French Association for Logistics Training) and FEVAD (the French Federation of E-commerce and Distance Selling) to reward and promote innovation in the field of transport and logistics. It will be the ninth time this popular event has been held. Six specialities in the following two categories will be rewarded. Firstly, in the Products and Services Innovations field, there will be awards for Logistics and Transport Services, Logistics Information Systems, and Logistic Installations or Sites. Secondly, in the Business Innovations field, there will be awards for Sustainable Development, Human Resource Management, and E-commerce Logistics Services.

SITL 2008 will also release several publications around themes being highlighted during the event. Each ‘manual’ will provide figures, practical information and analyses in order to offer visitors genuine tools to understand these new challenges.

The fourth edition of the Transport and Logistics Guidebook will provide visitors with an exhaustive analysis of the industry – markets, evolutions, employment, positioning and assets of French businesses in the face of European challenges, and a detailed presentation of companies as well as an overview of service providers. A total of 25,000 free copies of the guidebook will be distributed during SITL 2008. Finally, SITL NEWS will look closely at logistics real estate.

As in 2006, SITL Europe and the Handling Show are working together to present an exclusive event in Europe – the biggest industry-wide platform dedicated to logistics and handling with an expected combined attendance of 1,500 exhibitors and 50,000 professional visitors.

About SITL Europe

SITL Europe 2008 will be held from 11 to 14 March 2008 at the Parc des Expositions in Paris Nord Villepinte (Hall 5), north of the French capital. There will be 45,000m² of exhibition space, and 800 exhibitors are expected to take part, of which 30% will be non-French. Organisers expect 25,000 professional visitors and will be organising over 40 conferences, as well as offering six Logistics Innovation Awards.

For further information, please go to: www.salon-sitl.com