‘Are We There Yet?’ Is the Theme of the 6th Annual North America’s Marine Highways Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, April 1 and 2

NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ — The 6th Annual North America’s Marine Highways Conference, produced by the Journal of Commerce Conferences (www.joc.com/conferences), will take place April 1 and 2 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, Jacksonville, Florida.

The theme “Are We There Yet?” refers to the status of North American marine highways as a seemingly endless construction zone. Last December, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told The Journal of Commerce (www.joc.com) that he wanted to steer $30 million of President-elect Obama’s economic recovery package to short sea loan guarantees for vessels and shore facilities. The money is part of an overall $85 billion investment in transportation infrastructure now being considered by Congress.

The North America’s Marine Highways Conference — vital for shippers, truckers, short-sea operators and ports, among others — will address when vessel operators should be able to move freight on coastal routes, rivers and the Great Lakes; the challenges and opportunities for short sea in North America; legislative, regulatory and technology developments; and commercial ventures as well as success stories regarding battling highway congestion. Session topics include:

• America’s Deep Blue Highway
• The Green Highway
• Inland and Coastal Carriers; Progress
• Save the Intracoastal?
• Operations: Hub and Spoke
• Operations: Point to Point
• Operations: Great Lakes
• Operations: Kick-start

Conference speakers include:

• Scott G. Borgerson, International Affairs Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
• Richard Plant, Director of Special Projects, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots
• Peter Drakos, President, Coastal Connect LLC
• Bill Deaver, President & COO, Totem Ocean Trailer Express
• Rosemary Lynch, Executive Director, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association
• Kevin Mack, Vice President, Columbia Coastal
• Raul Alfonso, Director, Container Cargo, Development & Marketing, Port of Jacksonville
• Scott W. Fernandez, Vice President, Coastwise Shipping, Horizon Lines
• Mario Cuen, President, Mexican Chapter of the Gulf Port of the Americas Association
• Rick Couch, President, Couch Lines

To register for the 6th Annual North America’s Marine Highways Conference, contact JoC Conferences at (760) 294-5563, at events@joc.com or go to http://www.joc.com/conferences. For sponsorship information, contact Anne Morris at +1-818-341-3585 or at amorris@joc.com.

About UBM Global Trade

UBM Global Trade, formerly Commonwealth Business Media, Inc., has been the leading provider of proprietary data, news, business intelligence and analytical content supporting commercial maritime, rail, trucking, warehousing and logistics industries worldwide since 1827. The company’s portfolio of more than 100 online, print and interactive workflow business solutions includes The Journal of Commerce, The Journal of Commerce Conferences, PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions and an array of international trade and transportation databases and directories. UBM Global Trade, a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited, is headquartered in East Windsor, NJ, with offices throughout the United States and in Canada and Hong Kong. For more information, explore www.ubmglobaltrade.com or call 800-221-5488 (+1-609-371-7700 outside the U.S. and Canada).

About United Business Media Ltd. (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)

United Business Media Limited (UBM) is a global media and marketing services company that informs markets and brings the world’s buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. UBM serves professional and commercial communities, from IT professionals to doctors, from journalist to jewelry dealers, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. UBM employs more than 6,500 people in more than 30 countries. UBM’s businesses operating in the US include CMPMedica, Everything Channel, PR Newswire, RISI, TechInsights, TechWeb, Think Services, UBM Aviation and UBM Global Trade. UBM is listed on the London Stock Exchange (UBM.L) and has a market capitalization of $2.5 billion.

SOURCE The Journal of Commerce Conferences, a division of UBM Global Trade