Success for first Global SPS online interregional meeting

In July, around 130 participants took part in the first global SPS online interregional meeting, a new initiative aimed at creating a forum for members worldwide to share operational experiences and best practices.

For many years, regional teleconferences have been organized by the SPS Regional Coordinators as a platform for members to exchange information with each other and with the SPS Unit. An idea raised during the April SPS General Assembly session was to expand these teleconferences as a forum for the global exchange of experiences. Underscoring the importance of this inaugural meeting, SPS Cooperative Board Chair, Nabil Bensissaid, opened the event, “We are breaking regional boundaries to bring countries from all over the world together for the very first time.”

In a change from the established SPS global meetings, which tend to focus on broader strategic issues, this meeting was built around the sharing of operational issues and working as a group on practical solutions. The focus was on Leg 3, bringing together members’ challenges in processing and delivering items, along with the underlying reasons.

Prior to the meeting, members were invited to share any operational issues. During the meeting, representatives from Belgium, Jordan and the Netherlands highlighted challenges, many of which were also relevant to other operators. Following these presentations, the discussion was opened to the wider group to explore potential solutions and share experiences.

The format worked well, bringing together participants’ experience and encouraging collaborative problem-solving, with the group working jointly to identify practical ways to address the challenges.

It is hoped that these new interregional meetings will encourage deeper cooperation across the SPS network and inspire innovative solutions to shared operational challenges. We also encourage more SPS Cooperative members to participate in future meetings to broaden perspectives and strengthen collaborative problem-solving across the network. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 19 November 2026.