The Pallet Symposium Returns in September for Its Second Round

After the successful premiere last year, the 2nd Pallet Symposium will take place from September 15 – 16, 2025, at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg. Experts from trade, industry, and logistics will present their approaches and realized projects, demonstrating how to identify and utilize cost reduction and optimization potentials.

(Hamburg) Who would have thought that even the spelling of “pallet” could become a bone of contention? For over 20 years, there has been discussion in professional circles from logistics, industry, and trade – sometimes it’s about the double “T”, sometimes about the English variant with “LL”. The fact is: A uniform spelling has not yet been established.

The Entry into the Pallet Chaos

Olaf Oczkos

The founder of the Pallet Symposium, Olaf Oczkos, involuntarily entered the topic nearly two decades ago: In his then role as Head of Supply Chain at an international chemical company, the issue of pallets suddenly landed on his desk. And not as a footnote, but with full force: 150,000 missing Euro pallets. His predecessor had taken the easy way out – instead of enforcing claims, outstanding debts were regularly smoothed over. Free according to the motto: The carrier is in a tough spot, the customer won’t exchange anyway – so just book pallet loss and move on. The fact that there are no significant logistics margins for a product like salt further exacerbated the situation.

For Oczkos, it quickly became clear: This could not continue. So he acquired extensive pallet knowledge – in two ways. On one hand, the Pallet Handbook from DVZ became mandatory reading for anyone who wanted to seriously engage with the topic. On the other hand, he attended relevant industry events. Between 2007 and 2009, two real highlights took place – an event by the Pallet Quality Association (GPAL) and one by DVZ. There, the spark finally ignited: The conversations, networking, and openness of the community opened up a completely new world for him.

From Idea to Stage – Pallets Need a Forum

In 2023, the decisive impulse came: At a logistics event at the Marlene Bar in Berlin, a conversation with Jörg Hermsmeier from the Hamburg Logistics Days raised the question of why there was no longer a strong pallet format. It was quickly agreed: This should change. Jörg Hermsmeier took over the organization and location, while Olaf Oczkos contributed the editorial program as the publisher of the Pallet Report and brought the community together. Their shared goal: no advertising fluff, but real solutions for real problems. And all in a setting that offers more of a harbor view than a trade fair hall.

The kickoff took place on November 11, 2024, at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg – fittingly, also a memorable date for carnival enthusiasts. The first evening was all about networking, while the following day offered compact, practical presentations. The motto was: Pallets + Warehouse Automation = Future. The location was rated with top marks by the participants – a successful start.

After the successful premiere in 2024, the second edition of the Pallet Symposium will take place in Hamburg from September 15-16, 2025.

2025: Demand is Rising – It Continues

For 2025, the symposium has been expanded to accommodate 150 participants. Feedback from the previous year clearly indicated that a nerve had been struck. Those dealing with pallet stress in their daily lives will find inspiration, tools, service providers, and a broader perspective here. Each presentation is limited to 20 minutes – boredom from endless presentations is excluded. The goal: compact knowledge, practical, immediately applicable.

Why All This?

Oczkos knows the feeling of being at a loss in front of a mountain of pallet debts from personal experience. And he is convinced that pallets deserve more than just a place in the warehouse. The Pallet Symposium is his answer: a place for inspiration, exchange, and tangible solutions. Whether pallet software, tracking solutions, pooling strategies, or warehouse automation – the potential lies in the wood. And so does the progress.

More details and registration here

Title photo: © Loginfo24
Other photos: © Pallet Symposium