The CBTA Center Conference, held alongside the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, is one of the few moments each year when the global network of trainers, program managers, and dangerous goods specialists convenes in one place.
"This gathering is always one of the most energizing moments of our year, because it brings together the people who are shaping the future of dangerous goods training. Today is about connection - learning from one another, sharing experiences, exchanging ideas, and continuing to strengthen this global partnership" said Frederic Leger, IATA's Senior Vice President of Products and Services.
With dangerous goods requirements constantly changing, compliance training alone isn't enough to support consistent and effective safety implementation.
Professionals in dangerous goods shipping and handling need to know more than basic requirements. Professionals must understand the logic behind procedures, so they can adapt when the requirements shift.
These regulatory shifts are exactly where CBTA methodology proves its value. CBTA Training does not just require people to pass a checklist. The program builds and nurtures key competencies that allow professionals in dangerous goods to respond intelligently and with care.
As many people noted at the conference, CBTA, on paper, is well-designed, methodologically sound, and clearly structured. However, implementation can be tricky, with cultural habits and institutional inertia often pushing back.
Practitioners across the network are candid about this. The methodology works but making it work requires sustained effort at every level. It means building trust with frontline staff who may be skeptical of a new approach. It means convincing managers that investment in competency development pays off. It means creating the internal conditions - through curriculum design, technology, and leadership buy-in - in which CBTA stops being a program and becomes the way the organization actually thinks about training.
Conference attendees noted that digital delivery tools can extend reach and improve consistency, but they don't resolve the harder question of organizational culture. That work is almost always where the most meaningful progress - and the most significant obstacles - are found.
One of the most valuable functions the network serves is giving practitioners concrete examples to learn from.
To close out the day, Frederic Leger presented the Innovation and Performance Awards - recognizing CBTA Centers that had made measurable contributions to quality and continuous improvement over the past year.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Recipients shared the strategies behind their results and outlined the specific approaches that produced measurable improvements in training quality and outcomes.
For a global network operating across enormously varied regulatory, linguistic, and organizational contexts, the unique opportunity to learn from one another was especially valuable. It underscored the incredible importance of peer-to-peer learning.
Following a day of learning and valuable connections, the 2026 CBTA Center Conference closed with an informal reception where participants continued to converse and network - a fitting end to an event where professional relationships and regulatory alignment always go hand in hand.
