HOUSTON -- For only the second time in the conference's 23-year history, the Port of Houston Authority will facilitate host port responsibilities for the Oct. 8-11 Journal of Commerce Breakbulk Americas Conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton Americas Hotel. The Port of Houston is the largest breakbulk port in the United States.

According to event organizers, Breakbulk Americas is the largest and most important gathering in North America for companies involved in the shipping of heavy-lift, project cargo and traditional breakbulk cargoes.

It gives shippers the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with the leading specialized carriers, forwarders, ports, terminals and packers that have the expertise and resources to handle oversized cargoes with unique handling requirements.

For more information about the conference, visit: http://breakbulkevents.com/index.php?section=breakbulk_americas2012

About the Port of Houston Authority: For nearly 100 years, the Port of Houston Authority has owned or operated the public cargo-handling facilities of the Port of Houston – the nation's largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage. The port is an economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the nation. It supports the creation of more than one million statewide jobs and more than 2.1 million nationwide jobs, and the generation of economic activity totaling more than $178.5 billion in Texas and $499 billion across the nation. For more information, visit the Port Authority website at:   www.portofhouston.com.