HGL Group at the World's Leading Logistics Conferences:
Building Global Networks in 2026
In the fast-paced world of international freight forwarding, digital communication is essential, but true trust is built face-to-face.
For HGL Group, being part of a global logistics network is not just about displaying logos on a website. It is about active participation, continuous relationship building, and securing the most reliable local partners for our clients worldwide.
In 2026, our team is actively participating in some of the most IMPORTANT logistics and supply chain events across the globe.
From South America to Asia, we are expanding our footprint to ensure that whether it is an automotive time-critical, life sciences temperature-controlled shipment or a live production air charter with complex customs clearance, or a large-scale e-commerce fulfillment operation, HGL Group has the right skills in house, paired to the right global connections to deliver.
Expanding Horizons: Intermodal South America and X2 Annual Conference
The year started with a strong focus on expanding our intercontinental reach of specialist services such as time-critical and live event management partners.
Between 14 and 16 April 2026, HGL Group was
represented at Intermodal South America in São Paulo, Brazil. As one of the largest logistics, transport, and foreign trade events in Latin America, it brought together thousands of professionals, including shipping lines, airlines, and customs experts.
Our primary objective in São Paulo was to strengthen HGL’s visibility in the South American market and build partnerships with reliable local agents specializing in our core business service areas. We successfully promoted Hungary and the wider CEE region as a strategic gateway for European logistics,
highlighting our capabilities in air, sea, road transport, customs clearance, warehousing, bonded storage, time-critical solutions, and e-commerce fulfillment. The event resulted in valuable new contacts and strengthening of longstanding business and personal relationships, particularly for traffic between South America and Europe.
Shortly after, from 27 April to 1 May 2026, HGL attended the X2 Annual Conference in Antalya, Türkiye. With over 600 forwarders from around the world, this event provided the perfect platform to meet existing and potential overseas partners face-to-face.
A New Era of Logistics Partnerships
What stood out most at both conferences was the surprisingly personal and relationship-focused atmosphere. While business development is obviously important, participants placed a huge emphasis on building genuine personal connections based on trust, knowledge and familiarity, rather than purely transactional conversations.
Compared to many other sales-driven industries, the logistics community is always significantly more collaborative and approachable, given the correct professional chemistry between people and companies. There is a strong focus on long-term relationships and real conversations rather than aggressive selling. Trust and reputation clearly play a major role in the industry, and even the age and history of a company
can significantly influence credibility during meetings.
“These meetings are incredibly valuable because they allow us to go beyond emails and calls. When you sit across from a partner and talk openly, you build a level of trust that ensures our clients get the best possible service globally.”
HGL Group
The events featured a wide range of social activities alongside the business meetings, including football tournaments, networking evenings, and cocktail parties. These experiences helped create a relaxed, friendly environment where people could connect naturally. The general vibe was very positive and open-minded. Attendees actively tried to make themselves memorable, and there was very little of the typical hard sales atmosphere often seen at other industry events.
Which Industries Are Shaping Logistics Today?
Overall, India and China stood out as extremely active markets during the events. From HGL’s perspective, the most relevant and promising connections came from the United States, Canada, China, and Germany.
Several sectors consistently dominated discussions throughout the conferences. Automotive and pharmaceutical logistics remain among the industry’s strongest pillars, but significant attention is now being directed toward battery logistics, energy-related transportation, and food logistics.
These developments closely reflect broader global trends. The rapid growth of electric mobility, the transformation of energy markets, and the increasing complexity of international food supply chains are creating both new challenges and new opportunities for logistics providers.
Particularly noteworthy was the continued growth of pharmaceutical and life sciences logistics. In this sector, compliance, quality assurance, and trust create high barriers to entry, often leading to long-term customer relationships. It is no surprise that many industry experts consider pharma logistics one of the most attractive growth segments for the coming years.
Memorable Conversations and Unique Differentiators
The Senna Shop (sennashop.com) generated a lot of attention and acted as a unique conversation starter, as many partners had never seen a logistics company connected to a lifestyle or fan-oriented brand experience through online fulfillment and pop up shop service of a pan European coverage before. This created strong differentiation, as it demonstrated a unique brand personality rarely seen in the logistics sector.
The feedback regarding HGL was overwhelmingly positive. Many partners were genuinely surprised by the wide range of services and capabilities the company can provide. HGL was perceived as a high-quality logistics provider offering flexible, people-centered solutions rather than competing purely on price.
Partners especially appreciated our flexibility, fast decision-making, end-to-end logistics solutions, and responsiveness.
E-commerce emerged as a recurring topic in almost every professional discussion. International partners showed considerable interest in new distribution models driven by global platforms such as TEMU and other direct-to-consumer marketplaces, a business for which HGL has created a 20,000m2 second line ULD based air cargo facility at Budapest airport.
Today, e-commerce logistics extends far beyond fast delivery. Companies increasingly focus on flexible warehousing solutions, streamlined customs processes, and highly efficient international distribution networks. For HGL, staying ahead of these developments is essential. Our goal is to combine practical expertise with a strong local knowledge and market leading capability in Hungary to support customers
navigating the rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape.
Looking Ahead: The Importance of South America
One of the key takeaways from Intermodal South America was the growing importance of the South American market across multiple logistics sectors.
Brazil and Mexico, in particular, demonstrated strong potential in automotive logistics, food transportation, and temperature-controlled cargo movements. While geographically distant from Europe, improvements in maritime infrastructure and reefer transportation solutions continue to create new opportunities for international trade.
The event also served as an important platform to increase the visibility of both HGL and Hungary within the international logistics community, helping establish connections that may lead to future business opportunities for our customers.
More Than Just Conferences
Intermodal South America and X2 Antalya once again demonstrated that the future of logistics is not defined solely by technology, transportation capacity, or digitalization. Behind every successful supply chain are people, trust, and strong international relationships.
For HGL, these events are far more than industry gatherings. They are opportunities to discover new markets, strengthen partnerships, and gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping global logistics.
The knowledge base extension and specific new connections developed through these conferences ultimately benefit our customers, enabling us to provide reliable, flexible, and efficient logistics solutions anywhere in the world.
