Atlanta, GA Spring 2005

GFG Trials its first ‘Casual’ Conference… with a Buckhead Backdrop

Atlanta Conference News
ATLANTA, U.S.A. – SPRING 2005

The Buckhead area of Atlanta was the backdrop in April as the GFG welcomed its members to the organisation’s first ‘casual’ conference.

GFG Secretary Rachel Marchant reports on events in Atlanta, 17 – 19 April 2005.

 

After agreement from the members, the new casual conference underwent its first trial in Atlanta, USA in April 2005.   The introduction of a casual, non-mandatory meeting showed the flexibility of the Global Freight Group in achieving a compromise regarding the on-going discussions as to whether to hold one or two meetings each year. Furthermore, with the group’s Fall meeting now being mandatory for all Full Members, delegates would be assured of full attendance to enable them to meet all members in one location with just one travel expense.   The GFG’s President, Marina Marzani, commented that the convenience of the location meant that members could incorporate the Spring conference with their other US business trips. As normal, the Directors started proceedings with a full day’s meeting handling group business and developments. The meeting also provided the forum for the Directors to meet with Richard Ming, President of World Air & Ocean Services, the GFGs’s new member for San Fransisco.

 
The GFG Board of Directors’ Meeting

The format of the conference differed in that the General Assembly and various social gatherings were dispensed with, leaving two full days for the serious business of face-to-face sales meetings.

The Embassy Suites’ open atrium style provided an excellent location for the sales meetings, with events overseen from the mezzanine level where the GFG HQ was based.

Southern Comfort and Hospitality…

Showing true group cameraderie, the local hosts, USA Cargo Services and Lee Hardeman CB, invited members to join them for a Southern-style Barbecue at the house of Richard and Joni Cope. Chez Cope, tucked into the trees overlooking the river, was a perfect setting to welcome all the GFG members on the Sunday evening.

Members feasted on barbecued meat, bean stew, coleslaw and potato chips, with numerous sauces and all washed down with the speciality sweet tea. For those who had some room left there was dessert of banana pudding and cookies. The food was delicious, the setting fabulous and the company – a Great Friendly Group. Our thanks go to Richard and Joni for their generous hospitality and welcome.

Our thanks also go to Lee and Laura Hardeman who had put together a beautifully presented gift for each member – wonderful local preserves.

New Format Conference put to the test…

Normally members would attend the General Assembly on Monday morning however, with the first casual meeting, they went straight into their sales meetings with other members.

Group Secretary, Rachel, commandeered the mezzanine level which became the meeting point and general GFG hangout for members.

The GFG’s Mezzanine Meeting Point

Friends go out on the town…

On Monday evening members dined at a nearby Brazilian churrasceria, Fogo de Chao. As usual in the GFG the social events are well supported so the restaurant group swelled from 15 to 37 people for dinner!

Round Up and Conclusion for the First Casual Conference…

The overall conclusion of the GFG’s first casual meeting was that many members felt that they had been able to get a lot of business done.

The smaller number of attending members meant that sales meetings could be timed more generously allowing members to spend more time to get down to serious business, instead of rushing from one meeting to the next. It was felt that people ctually had time to hold meaningful meetings and accomplishing a great deal.

If it was felt that the meeting perhaps favoured the American members in that it was almost a local meeting for them, the attendance listing shows that the division was in fact almost equal. Out of the 22 member companies which attended, 10 were international and 12 were American.

Rachel did not receive any negative comments at all about the conference, only satisfaction at how much business had been done. Obviously, if more members had attended the opportunity for business would have increased even further, though the timings would have been more restricted…

 

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