The Industry Relations Working Group, IELA Chairperson Guido Fornelli and IELA Executive Officer Elizabeth Niehaus, started this project, named DATA ROOM, four years ago.
The purpose of our DATA ROOM is to promote a better understanding of our importance with external players in the forwarding and logistics industries (e.g. Carriers, Governmental Agencies such as Trade Agencies, Customs or Police Authorities).
The aim is to create a unique repository, an independent “Data Room” where members can input their data and let the Association obtain the aggregate figures generated by our members’ segment. The project is part of our vision to become “a content driven Association”.
IELA will use data as a tool to create consistency in its purpose to improve products and services and thus remain competitive.
This data will benefit every single IELA Member as it is a helpful tool to improve communication in the media and with third parties. Negotiation with carriers and other players in the international transport industry will be facilitated. Our reputation with organisers and venue owners will be strengthened. In turn, we will also be able to better understand our market share and positioning within the exhibition logistics market.
Guido Fornelli highlights the importance of member participation by saying: “Every IELA Member is invited to invest a few minutes of their time to complete the survey in order to give us the opportunity to obtain a significant database to turn this project into yet another IELA success.”
How does a Virtual DATA ROOM function?
In today’s economy, a virtual Data Room is essentially a website with limited controlled access (using a secure login). All the information released is confidential and restrictions apply for further disclosure to third parties. Confidentiality is therefore the main prerequisite for this project and is the reason for the name. No one within the Association will have access to the survey results. The survey will be in the hands of a third party who collects, stores and analyses the individual replies in order to aggregate figures. This company will also compare the results with data originating from different sources and market analyses.
