Welcome to March's issue of Newsreel. Here is a round-up of all the latest news.
Dubai 2011 is a sell-out
Our Dubai 2011 event has had an overwhelming response from the global cotton community. By mid-February, 600 delegates had registered and, due to venue capacity, we had no other choice than to close registration. Kai Hughes, ICA Managing Director explains: “We are delighted with the take-up. We knew Dubai would be a popular location - it is a global business hub and easily accessible, especially to the Asian market. Just one look at the delegate list confirms this. We are confident that the event will be a success - strengthening existing business relationships and developing new trade opportunities for attendees.”
Taking place at the Ritz Carlton International Financial Centre on March 15/16, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the event has attracted sponsorship from 16 big names in cotton and 10 international, high profile speakers will take to the stage to deliver a selection of industry presentations.
Please note: Access to Dubai 2011 will be restricted to registered delegates only, who will be issued with an ID badge on arrival.
Click here to find out more about Dubai 2011 and to download the programme/delegate list.
ICA membership is on the up
Since launching our new membership structure in January, we have seen a big increase in membership applications. In just eight weeks, we received 30 new applications – 14 firms and 16 individual members, which is significantly up on the same period last year.
Adding to our 360+ strong membership, the new applicants represent a wide variety of industry sectors from right across the globe - China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Europe and Paraguay. “This really is positive news,” says Kai Hughes, ICA Managing Director. “One of our major aims is to make ICA membership more affordable for all - especially for producers and mills. There are now six membership packages available to suit every business type and size.”
Click here to find out more about ICA membership and how it can benefit you and your business.
Continuing to strengthen links in China
Earlier this month, Robert Jiang, ICA’s China Business Development Officer, met with the China Cotton Association (CCA) in Beijing, and visited a number of cotton firms in the eastern region of China. Building on the MOU (memorandum of understanding) that was exchanged last May between the ICA and CCA, the aim of this visit was to further the cooperation between the two Associations and to exchange opinions on the ICA's trading rules.
Forums were held in Hangzhou and Zhangjiagang, with CCA and local cotton firms to discuss various trade issues and arbitration procedures, in light of the recent increased number of disputes. The forums were well received and created a good opportunity to learn from each other, listen to views and share best practice.
Click here to contact Robert for further information.
Busy time ahead for training delegates
Forty international delegates have signed up to take part in our Complete Cotton training programme, which takes place this April in Liverpool. The delegates have a full schedule ahead of them, with 17 training modules to complete. We wish them every success and want to thank the 20 presenters who will be delivering the training and our social event sponsors - Cotton Incorporated, Olam, SGS, Plexus and Wakefield Inspection Services.
Complete Cotton is a 10 day training programme that focuses on key areas of the raw cotton trade - from growing to spinning and everything else in between. It provides a unique opportunity to learn about the cotton industry from some of the world's leading professionals.
Click here to find out more about Complete Cotton and to sign-up for next year’s programme.
About Newsreel
Newsreel is our regular e-news alert. Designed to keep you up to date with everything that is happening at the ICA, Newsreel is aimed at anybody with an interest in the cotton trade.
Click here to view previous issues.
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