James J Radous

UniCarriers Americas Corporation (UCA) has announced plans to host its first Forklift Industry Summit on October 10-12, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel Miami.

The exclusive, three-day event kicks off with an opening reception bringing together dealers, component suppliers, aftermarket suppliers and industry experts for an opportunity to learn about the industry's hot topics and the future of forklift materials handling.

UCA estimates that the event will attract 375 professionals, promising "information-sharing opportunities and a chance for UniCarriers' dealers and suppliers to network and share information for the first time in a business setting".

"In the past, we've hosted separate dealer and supplier meetings, but we wanted to change things up a bit and bring everyone together in the same place for an event unlike any we've ever had," says James Radous, president of UniCarriers Americas. "This would have been enough, but we decided to up our game and bring in industry experts through business and the media. The goal is for us to be industry-leading and create value for our dealers."

While the global and regional events calendar is filling, the decision to host a stand-alone event comes on the heels of Linde's decision to create its own conference and exhibition instead of participating at CeMAT in Europe. Linde's World of Material Handling will be held for the third time this year, from June 4-15 in Mannheim, Germany.

Like the Linde event, it is unlikely that forklift brands outside the UniCarriers group will be involved in the October event.