Interview to Enrique Lacalle, President of the Organizing Committee of the international logistics show and maintenance

With great enthusiasm and with the firm conviction that the exhibitors who come to the Sil they will get the highest returns with his participation. At the moment, where also the fairs are noticing the crisis, SIL is proving that it is a solid fair as a rock. Sil 2009 is presented as a useful and extremely necessary room that will help the companies to sell and generate more business contacts. I always say that in the current situation, where everyone wants to sell, 50,000 visitors - which is the figure that we recorded last year and that foresee repeat in this issue - not is can be disregarded.

This year we have a bit of everything: no longer come, companies that had not been never and that will be present for the first time, companies that have reduced meters, others who have increased their apuesta… The important thing is that we will have the same meters of exposure than last time because the casualties, which we have been able to register at the national level, we compensated with a great international participation, which will be this year around environment at 45%. A large number of autonomous communities, as in the case of Andalusia, Aragón, Canary Islands, Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid, Navarre, Basque country,... present in Sil 2009 presenting will be their logistics projects.

Without a doubt that logistics is an opportunity for the real estate sector to deal with the difficult situation which is going through. Despite the fall in the volumes of investment and economic developments, Spain tripled the figures for investment in logistic ground in the first half of 2008 with respect to the previous year. This fact makes us, behind the United Kingdom and Germany, the third market of Europe, with more than 600 million euros (of a total of 4.5 billion euros invested at Community level).

Contacts, sales, knowledge... The Sil is an annual meeting point where gather all companies and professionals in the field of logistics and maintenance. In times of economic difficulties should be more creative that never and in the Sil will be many ideas to be more competitive. Many of the developments with our exhibitors this year are intended to reduce costs and achieve the greatest possible benefit. At the same time, in the SIL-ICIL store will be a demonstration of what is called Low-cost logistics This concept achieves return on facilities and existing means expanding its use, costs are reduced and it promotes the multigestión.

All sectors as part of the logistics chain are represented in the Sil with an own session. One of these technical seminars, the 2nd 'Supply Chain Outsourcing Forum', will precisely show what value-added services can provide a logistics operator, how technology can be purchased through the 'Outsourcing' or how to integrate effectively the processes and work teams. This workshop will bring together directors of operations and logistics from different sectors who want to improve their operation already externalized outcomes, which are evaluating different options of subcontracting in transport, storage, planificación…, who want to make contacts with other users and logistics providers to compare experiences and seeking innovative solutions to improve the management of its Supply Chain. We must not lose sight of the fact that three of every four European companies, with a turnover exceeding EUR 100 million, they delegate their logistics activities to third parties and this figure will be more.

Once again we are very pleased of the participation of the main Spanish and global ports. This year we have the presence of a score of national ports and the main ports of Algeria, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Italy, Morocco, Mexico, Panama or Portugal, among others.

At the same time, within the Sil also will be held the 2nd Mediterranean Summit of ports and the 9th day of port logistics, organized by State ports. All this makes our Hall also part of ideal meeting of the port sector.

In a world so globalized should look for opportunities in every corner of the planet. This year in the Sil are to present the large international sector projects, as it is the case of the extension of the Panama channel or the draft adopted by the Colombian Government which is vertebrará of this country's logistical system and which provides for the establishment of a total of 20 logistics platforms.

It should be noted that the eleventh edition of the Sil will be the most international of all those held to date. This aspect every year is stronger in our living room because we understand that a fair other than international does not make sense today.

Sil 2009 will host the project ' Invest in Med ", co-financed by the European Union and with the aim of developing foreign investment and trade flows in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The "Invest in Med' is a very important business meeting, which will be developed within the 7th Mediterranean Forum of logistics and transport, and that will allow a great interaction between the Spanish and European companies with the rest of companies from the countries of the Mediterranean arc. These business meetings will reinforce the relations of the logistics sector at European level and help generate business and sales for the exhibiting companies from the Sil 2009.

The logistics sector has been the last to enter in crisis and I am convinced that will be one of the first to overcome this situation. Despite the current situation, the logistics sector is going to go further because it is impossible to build a good company without a good logistics. Spain has shown that logistics is cost-effective as providing best services helps a company to earn more money.