PMSA AGAIN HOSTS ‘STATE OF THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES’ EVENT FEATURING PORT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GENE SEROKA 

     All Lunch Proceeds to Benefit EXP & the International Seafarers Center     

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Dec. 11, 2018 – The World Cruise Center in San Pedro will be the site of the 2019 “State of the Port of Los Angeles” event, hosted by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) in conjunction with the Port of Los Angeles.

Port Executive Director Gene Seroka will keynote the luncheon, providing updates and perspective on 2018 and 2019 highlights at the nation’s largest port by container volume and cargo value.  Seroka talks about the Port’s seven lines of business, environmental progress and community development initiatives.

To meet popular demand, the 2019 event will be held at a larger location, the Port’s World Cruise Center, located at 100 Swinford Street, Berth 93, San Pedro, CA 90731. The event is on Thursday, January 24, 2019, and kicks off at 11:30 a.m. Purchase tickets and register here.  The luncheon is expected to sell out.

“We are very excited to move into a larger venue for this end-to-end overview of the nation’s number one gateway of containerized trade,” said PMSA Executive Director John McLaurin.  “Mr. Seroka is an exceptional leader and always eloquently reviews the breadth and depth of the Port of Los Angeles portfolio and business ecosystem inside a trade gateway that touches 1 in 9 jobs in the 5-county region.” 
 
Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit two local non-profit organizations. Carson-based EXP (formerly ITEP—the International Trade Education Programs) is an organization dedicated to creating career-based skills and knowledge for students by connecting the classroom to real-world experiences, including those in the maritime industry. The International Seafarers Center of POLB-LA provides facilities, as well as recreational and personal services, to merchant seamen calling at the two ports.
 
Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA)

The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) is an independent, not-for-profit association focused on global trade. PMSA operates offices in Oakland, Long Beach and Seattle, and represents owners and operators of marine terminals and U.S. and foreign vessels operating throughout the world.
 
Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovatively strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $284 billion in trade during 2017. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs in the five-county Southern California region.