First^rd edition of the Africa Logistics Network conference held in Bangkok, the Thai capital, marks an important milestone for the organization led by Marcello Saponaro. On the sidelines of the discussions between the various participating companies, the President of the ALN network spoke about the particular context in which this strategic meeting was held while discussing the technological constraints faced by the players, the new directions, the challenges to be met by the network in a constantly changing sector as well as the prospects for Africa. 

• This year, the 10th ALN conference coincides with the death of your father, Alessandro Saponaro, founder of this network. How did you experience it?

I felt compelled, in a way, to dedicate the meeting to my father. He founded ALN ten years ago, and it was only right to honor his memory with a meeting that truly lived up to his expectations – perfect at every moment. In fact, we spared no expense in achieving this. My welcome speech opened and closed with him, and we wanted to honor him with a symbol of Bangkok: a gemstone, a natural topaz, dedicated to him and given to each participant and later sent to all the founding members who were unable to attend the Bangkok meeting.

• You said in your speech that the ALN and ALNA meetings would be separated next year, and that we would therefore have two meetings. What are the motivations and objectives for this?

ALNA has grown enough to hold its own independent meeting. However, we will not sever the link between ALN ​​and ALNA; a day of individual meetings will still be “combined”. In addition, we are considering renaming ALNA. We want to expand it, especially in markets where the ALN network is less strong, and therefore need to give it a different identity. In this way, both networks can strengthen and complement each other.

• You said that ALN is lagging behind in terms of technology. What are you going to do to improve it?

In January, we will launch the ALN app for Android and Apple. ALNA will follow shortly after, once the new name and logo have been chosen. Initially, the app will provide access to the members’ area, with all members’ contacts and essential network updates. Over the coming months, it will be expanded with features such as scheduling meetings at annual events and automating the creation of “I’m in” banners with participants’ photos and names. To succeed, Africa must be more technologically advanced than other continents and we want to play our small part in making this happen.

• There are many networks in your sector, worldwide and in Africa. How do you see the future of yours?

There are so many networks in the world! Some, like ALN, aim for excellence, while others focus solely on revenue. Their only goal is to get a new membership fee bill. However, these networks tend to last only one or two seasons at the most. The same goes for those that focus on Africa. We are not concerned about the quality networks that compete with us. What concerns ALN are the others, the poor quality ones, because they give a misleading image of what a network should be.

• Where will the meeting take place in 2025?

In 2025, it's Africa's turn again. After Bangkok, we will return to the continent that gave us our name. The location will certainly be chosen by the end of the year. For now, we are evaluating three options.

Interview by Thierno