2017 Summit Highlights

The 2017 NIT League Transportation Summit, held at the award-winning San Diego Hilton Resort & Spa, was packed with educational, social, and inspirational events that will continue to pay dividends long after attendees returned to their offices. Read about some highlights below.

ken_blanchard_headshotKeynote Speaker: Ken Blanchard

Best known for his 1982 book The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard is the founder of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a management consulting and training firm he established with his wife, Marjorie, in 1979. Now a global business that works with Fortune 500 companies in more than 30 countries, The Ken Blanchard Companies is renowned for helping people understand themselves better so they can become self-leaders and grow into competent and confident managers.

Modal Transportation Roundtables 

Rail, ocean, and highway freight transportation issues were front and center during these 90-minute mode-specific sessions. A moderator set the stage for each session, then a panel of industry experts lead a discussion and answered attendees’ questions.

Highway Transportation Roundtable Presentation

Exhibit Hall

The latest products and technologies were on display at the Summit in an exhibit hall located just steps from the meeting rooms. Attendees had more than 13 hours of dedicated time to visit with exhibitors, including breakfasts, breaks, and receptions.

Networking Dinner, featuring keynote Mike Singletary

Attendees joined together Tuesday, January 31, for a plated dinner and an inspirational speech by former NFL player, coach, and Hall of Famer, Mike Singletary. The evening provided a unique opportunity for further networking and conversation for attendees and exhibitors.

Annual Golf Classic

The warm Pacific breezes and natural beauty of Southern California lend themselves to year-round golfing, and what better location than the Fairmont Grand Del Mar Golf Club, designed by noted course architect Tom Fazio. Set in the picturesque Los Penasquitos Canyon, the course featured lush fairways and dramatic backdrops that made for a memorable golfing experience.

Intergenerational Workforce Panel

Mick Ukleja, founder and president of LeadershipTraQ, headlined an afternoon that focused on the changes and challenges facing companies and employees as the Baby Boomers retire and Millennials seek to make their mark on the workplace. This session looked at how employers and employees are navigating the rise of the Millennial workforce and the transition of Boomer workers to full or phased retirement.

Intergenerational Workforce Panel Presentations

John Chen – MCI USA

Debbie Taylor – Edna Rice Executive Recruiters

Tour of Port of San Diego

Logistics professionals joined together on a free tour of the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and the National City Marine Terminal on Monday, January 30.

NITL Modal Committee Meetings

NITL’s three modal committees—Rail Transportation, Highway Transportation, and Ocean Transportation—each met during the Summit. Committees addressed the most timely topics, heard from various guest speakers, and established recommendations for League positions on rail, highway, and ocean transportation policy and regulations.

The Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040

Energy is vital to every aspect of modern life. Around the clock, around the globe, people rely on energy to prepare their meals, get to work, heat and cool their homes, and much more. This presentation reviewed factors that drive the world’s energy needs and the likely choices that will be made to meet those needs.

Energy Outlook Presentation – William Landuyt – ExxonMobil

To see the full schedule of 2017 Summit events, click here.