Networking will be possible on the basis of a safety and hygiene concept. The congress is sponsored by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, as it contributes to the revitalization of the B2B event industry. As part of the funding, the German Logistics Association (BVL), as the organizer, is also committed to a Sustainable Event Scorecard. In addition to offsetting non-reducible CO² emissions, the criteria also cover, for example, the planning of catering from a sustainability perspective, the accommodation of all participants at the event location or within a radius of three kilometers or the offer of discounted sustainable travel options by train.

The hygiene concept is based on official requirements and takes into account the experience and knowledge gained by the BVL and its partners at other events. In addition, expertise from the state of Berlin as well as that of epidemiologist Prof. Brinks from the University of Witten-Herdecke will be incorporated. In an interview for the BVL, Brinks said that due to the good protective effect of the vaccination, he assumes that the congress in October can be held well and safely with an appropriate and responsible hygiene concept.

"Perhaps this will convince one or two people who are still undecided," says BVL Chairman Prof. Thomas Wimmer. The congress motto: Seize opportunities - Adapt to lead The contents of the congress will be held under the motto "Seize opportunities - Adapt to lead". The logistics indicator for the third quarter has shown: The momentum from the month of June is waning despite a very decent business situation. It is not so much the pandemic, but rather tangible real economic challenges that are jeopardizing the recovery. "It's not just 'chips' that are lacking and leading to temporary production stoppages," says Wimmer, adding: "All industries are also experiencing shortages and price increases for steel, wood and other construction and raw materials as well as energy sources."

Logistics and supply chain management are now being asked to find new ways of dealing with this. "This isn't the first time we've done this, and we're good at it," says Wimmer. Supply chain management and logistics have been in a state of upheaval and constant change, and not just since the coronavirus pandemic. Which technologies will influence value chains? How can we achieve true climate neutrality? How do we protect ourselves against cybercrime?

Speakers share their expertise and provide impulses, including

- Dorothea von Boxberg, Chairwoman of the Executive Board, Lufthansa Cargo AG, Frankfurt; Member of the Executive Board, BVL
- Siegfried Russwurm, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Berlin
- Dr. Marianne Janik, Chairwoman of the Management Board, Microsoft Germany, Munich
- Christian Erlach, Member of the Management Board, Jungheinrich AG, Hamburg
- Jörg Hofmann, First Chairman, IG Metall, Frankfurt
- Meri Stevens, Worldwide Vice President Supply Chain - Consumer Health & Deliver, Johnson & Johnson, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Jochen Thewes, Chief Executive Officer, Schenker AG, Frankfurt
- Sebastian Windeck, Innovation Management, Metallbau Windeck GmbH, Kloster Lehnin and Co-Founder, neopolis GmbH, Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, SYSTEMIQ GmbH, Munich
- Felix Fiege, CEO, Fiege Group, Greven; Advisory Board, BVL
- Dr. Norbert Lammert, former President of the German Bundestag, Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Berlin