CIFFA Forwarder Magazine

4 THE FORWARDER | WINTER 2025 Well, the 2025 CIFFA Conference, themed #ForwardThinking, is a done deal! After months of planning we are thrilled to call it a resounding success. Additionally, before and after the conference (which took place on October 29 and 30), we were fortunate enough to have extracurricular events tied in to our own. It was great to participate in the North American Customs Brokers Alliance meeting on October 28, to hear about the efforts being made to elevate the role of Customs Brokers in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. And after the CIFFA conference, CIFFA, Transport Canada’s Supply Chain Office staff Chris Hoff and Polina Hristeva, in conjunction with Lars Jensen, our maritime keynote speaker, offered a day of liner shipping gaming with its Liner Game day. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Liner Shipping Game™ is a leading global provider of simulation-based training designed to offer immersive, hands-on experiences in liner shipping operations. Developed in collaboration with industry experts, it serves as a comprehensive training platform for both newcomers and seasoned professionals to enhance strategic and operational expertise. Participants gain practical insights into booking uptake, vessel stowage, and terminal operations through realistic, engaging scenarios that promote critical thinking and teamwork. I had a lot of fun participating at the Shanghai Port Table and thanks to my fellow participants for their planning insights. Thanks to the CIFFA staff for all of the roles and responsibilities taken on for this event: To our CIFFA staff Bruce, Mahesh, Steve, Nasy, Nick, Marsha, Shirin, Sanket, Mike and Petra, to our CIFFA President of the Board Paul Courtney, and to the Board Directors and Committee Chairs who assisted us with presenting speakers and moderating panels. CIFFA Corp recently hired Benjamin Martin in the role of Government Relations Lead Advisor. As a Canadian governance expert with 18 years of parliamentary and private sector experiences at the highest levels, Ben can pull back the curtain on the inner workings of the Ottawa ecosystem for CIFFA Corp. In this contributed article, Ben introduces himself to Members, explaining what his GR efforts mean for CIFFA Corp. Ben and I have been spending a lot of time on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, joined by Executive Director Bruce Rodgers. As we bring forward our Advocacy efforts to the officials involved in Transport, Public Safety, Trade and Labour, we are learning a lot about the political process as we advance CIFFA members’ interests before officials. I asked Ben to contribute a piece on his experiences and provide a “day in the life” overview for members on the Government Relations role. Hope you enjoy it! EDITORIAL Stymied at the Liner Game (from “Shanghai Port Table”) L-R: Ben Martin, Julia Kuzeljevich and Bruce Rodgers Ben Martin