The 2021 EMDA Spring Meeting was held at the Jekyll Island Club Resort (JICR), Jekyll Island, GA on April 9-10. This is a beautiful island just 15min from Brunswick GA. From the moment you set foot on the island, you understand that you are in a different time and place. Horse drawn carriages, bicycles, croquet was front and center. Many of the JICR buildings were former residences from the mid 1800’s-early 1900’s and have been converted to guest rooms. The Island has a “rich” history in the foundation of setting up financial stability of the US banking system and Federal Reserve…Just ask L.R. (not that he was there, but that he read the book!) The grounds are well maintained and were within walking distance of the clubhouse, our guest house and various activities and shopping. The seafood was exquisite (the steak wasn’t bad either) as was access to the beach and marina.
The EMDA Board & spouses began to arrive on Wednesday with a Board meeting Thursday afternoon. Because of travel restrictions, we did Zoom in two Board Members so they could participate in the Board meeting. In addition to the Board members present, we also welcomed one EMDA member (in-person) and a few Zoom attendees to the Friday and Saturday sessions. The Friday sessions began with a presentation by the Georgia Port Authority titled “Where’s My Container?” followed by a presentation by FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center). Both of these sessions were very informative and timely regarding the current environment in the shipping industry and related security insight.
The final session for the day was a presentation by Worldwide Express and how a 3PL can save an EMDA member money in LTL, TL and flatbed shipping costs while giving the EMDA a rebate for activity.
Saturday’s session began with our Member on Display – Teagle Machinery, Ltd. presentation by Board Member Andy Robson. Andy did a fantastic job on the past, present and future of Teagle in the industry. We followed this with a presentation from LIG Association and their approach to health plan options for EMDA members. Additional information on the LIG offering and Worldwide Express freight offering will be forthcoming in future communications from EMDA. Finally, we turned to the issues facing EMDA members today and how the EMDA can provide value to members moving forward. Again, you will see additional information in the future about what we are considering with the goal of a formal presentation at the Fall Convention in OKC.
You should have been there! As an EMDA member, the EMDA Spring Meeting is a time to step aside from the day to day activity of business, competition, pricing/shipping issues and interact with fellow members in an environment that is good for the group and the soul. Sometimes you just need to get away to reflect, refresh, renew and refocus! The 2021 Spring Meeting lived up to this standard. Thank you for all who took time out of their day to day and contributed to this event. I would challenge anyone who has never participated in an EMDA Spring Meeting . . . you need to attend this event. The time spent is certainly worth the time away and you will not regret the interaction and value you receive.