Are You Ready for the MCAA’s 2013 Meeting and Exposition?

The MCAA's 2012 meeting, courtesy of the MCAA.

If not, you better hurry because the festivities begin tomorrow (May 8) at the Sheraton in New Orleans, La. The event concludes on May 11. And, yes, we'll be there!

Every year, the MCAA builds upon the previous year’s annual meeting, said Rob Johnstone, president of the MCAA and co-founder and partner of Priority Express Courier, Inc. “[We are] trying to bring in some speakers that are outside or tangent to the industry,” Johnstone said.

This year’s event will focus on trends and discuss where the industry is heading. While people in the industry know how to run a traditional courier business, the industry is changing. Margins are getting squeezed and people want to diversify their work, Johnstone said.

In the past year there’s been a lot of buzz concerning companies such as Amazon and eBay that provide same-day delivery, Johnstone said. Prior to this year, most people wouldn’t notice mainstream news organizations covering same-day delivery news. Courier company owners now need to know how their companies can fit in and build on business.

Meeting topics will include industry education and trends and improving company profitability. Attendees will get multiple opportunities to meet other colleagues in the industry at networking events, receptions, dinners and a golf tournament. The meeting’s Exhibit Hall also will showcase the latest in products and services from all major vendors to the courier industry.

Ret. Lt. General Russel Honoré will present the event’s keynote address, “The Price of Leadership.” Honoré is a Louisiana native and is best known for serving as commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas across the Gulf Coast. Event panel topics will cover warehousing, business focus groups, airport work, legal issues, retail and same day delivery and marketing.

For more information and to view the meeting’s full agenda, visit MCAA’s 2013 Annual Meeting website. Go to www.mcaa.com, click on the “Events” tab at the top, and select “2013 Annual Meeting,” then “Meeting Home.”