Host: Annik Sobing
Guest: Benita Lee, Certified Customs Specialist (U.S. and Canada)
Published: April 2026
Length: ~20 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

ICPA After the Conference: Building Community, Sharing Ideas, and Preparing for What’s Next

In this post-ICPA conversation, Annik sits down with Benita Lee, an independent consultant and trade compliance strategist, to reflect on the energy, diversity, and value of the ICPA San Antonio conference and why this community continues to matter for trade professionals across import, export, supply chain, and government relations. Together, they talk about how the conference brings together practitioners, legal experts, tech leaders, students, and even investors to share real-world perspectives on tariffs, refunds, AI, and the changing trade landscape.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why ICPA matters
- ICPA is more than a conference—it’s a place where trade professionals connect, learn, and build a stronger community.
- Benita and Annik talk about how the event helps break the isolation many people feel in customs and compliance roles.
The San Antonio conference experience
- This year’s conference was described as the largest and most diverse yet, with strong attendance, active booth traffic, and meaningful conversation across tracks.
- Attendees included legal counsel, compliance professionals, Big Four alumni, tech-minded practitioners, and newer voices entering the industry.
AI and practical use cases
- A key conference theme was AI in trade compliance, with sessions focused on practical use cases instead of fear-based “replacement” talk.
- Benita highlights the value of these sessions in showing how AI can support existing work, not eliminate the need for expertise.
Student engagement and career development
- The conference welcomed students and scholarship recipients, reinforcing ICPA’s role in helping the next generation find mentors and learn the trade path.
- Benita points to sessions like “Advancing Your Career” with Laila Landis as must-see content for both students and experienced professionals.
Canada conference perspective
- The upcoming ICPA Canada conference in June is a different lens on trade, especially given Canada’s export relationship with the U.S. and the current political tension.
- Benita explains why Canadian practitioners benefit from seeing both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the trade equation and how ICPA helps keep the conversation practical rather than political.
Connections and collaboration
- A recurring theme of the episode is that trade is solved through connections—meeting the right people, asking questions, and finding the experts who can help.
- Benita emphasizes that ICPA makes it easy to engage, network, and find mentors, which can dramatically shorten the learning curve in your career.

Upcoming ICPA Events Mentioned

ICPA Canada: June 7–9, 2026.
ICPA Dresden: April 8–10, 2026.
ICPA Grapevine, Texas: September 13–15, 2026

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