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NO
3– 2011
HIGHEST STANDARDS IN FINE ART SHIPPING
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PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON ICEFAT
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I first heard of
ICEFAT in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s when I was the Registrar
at The Jewish Museum in New York. It appeared to be this mysterious
group of select companies who met in various locations around the
world. It all seemed so clandestine and full of intrigue.
When I left the museum to join a London-based shipping company, we
were invited to attend one of these meetings held in New York, my
home base. I will never forget how important I felt attending my first
ICEFAT formal dinner. With my boss from London, we went to the lavish
dinner in a private dining room at “Windows on The World”
atop the World Trade Center. To this day, I can remember looking out
from the 108th floor for the first time and seeing the twinkling lights
of Manhattan. I felt like I was on top of the world.
Unfortunately, that London-based company was never invited back to
ICEFAT and I didn’t attend conventions for several years. Eventually,
I started a Fine Arts Division in partnership with a customs broker/freight
forwarder located in the World Trade Center. That company received
an invitation to join ICEFAT in 1985. Within a couple of years, we
separated from the parent company to become RBA in 1987. We have been
proud members of ICEFAT ever since.
Over the years, ICEFAT has evolved from a loosely organized fraternity
with a “Ladies Programme” to a real and inclusive organization
with a charter, rules, regulations, and standards. What was once a
strictly social meeting and an excuse to travel all over the world
(if your company was considered worthy by the powers-that-be) is now
a serious and respected trade organization. We now have committees,
by-laws, an agenda and goals. We encourage transparency and the creation
and implementation of international world-wide standards. Information
is shared – not withheld.
On a personal level, I am pleased with the direction that ICEFAT has
taken and hope that my contributions and ideas have helped shape what
it is today. I am also grateful to ICEFAT for the opportunity it has
allowed me to travel, and for the friends, colleagues, and experiences
that have added so much to my life.
Racine Berkow
RBA – Racine Berkow Associates, Inc. NY, USA
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