HOUSTON, April 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- An international contingent of port executives, maritime industry leaders and local dignitaries celebrated Houston's international diversity as the 25th International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) World Ports Conference kicked off a week of activities at Sunday evening's "Welcoming Dinner and Celebration." The conference, held at the Hilton Americas Hotel, provides a forum for leaders in the maritime industry to exchange ideas, discuss challenges and exhibit state-of-the-art technologies of the global maritime industry.
The Port of Houston Authority (PHA), representing the world's 10th largest port, is serving as the conference host. Conference participants include executives from the world's seven leading cargo volume and container traffic ports. Also present are corporate officials of some of the world's largest shipping lines.
In his welcome remarks to the delegates, PHA Executive Director H. Thomas Kornegay, who serves as IAPH president, said, "IAPH has been steadfast about diversity. It is not the color of our skin or language or customs, it is our ability to work in a unified fashion that brings us together. IAPH allows us to keep the doors open and communicate on issues of importance."
PHA Commission Chairman James T. Edmonds said, "We look forward to showing you the Port of Houston. When you leave, we hope that you will say this global port community is Simply the Best!"
Business activities commence Monday morning as critical issues ranging from port security to the globalization of the economy will be at the forefront of the conference's agenda. Delegates will also hear from U.S. Transportation Department Secretary Mary E. Peters and U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. They will also hear formal presentations from nearly 30 leaders representing the worldwide maritime industry.
At the Welcoming Dinner and Celebration, IAPH conference attendees and invited guests were treated to spectacular performances that highlighted each of the seven continents of the world. The hour-long program included performances by the Houston Ballet, Kuumba House Dance Theatre, Dance of Asian America, The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company and Ambassadors International Folkloric Ballet. The finale returned to the North America stage with a soulful performance by Houston's own Yvonne Washington of the conference theme song, Simply the Best.
The International Association of Ports and Harbors was founded in 1955. For more than 50 years, IAPH has steadily developed as the leading organization in the global maritime industry. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the IAPH comprises representatives from more than 400 ports and top executives from major industry corporations in nearly 90 countries around the world. The members' ports as a whole handle 85 percent of the world's container traffic and more than 60 percent of the global seaborne trade. More information about IAPH is available on www.IAPHworldports.org. For more information regarding conference registration, sponsorships, and exhibit opportunities, visit www.IAPH2007.com.
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