NEWS FROM THE CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW CIRCUIT roadtrip
turn and face the change
THE MILITARY IS ALWAYS FIGHTING THE LAST WAR, THE OLD ADAGE
goes. But that may not be true much longer. At the National Defense Industrial
Association’s Annual Logistics Conference in April, several military leaders made
it quite clear that they’re not only aware of the problem but are actively seeking
a solution.
Throughout the conference, which attracted top leaders from both industry and
the military, speakers alluded to the difficulties of driving institutional change. The
defense bureaucracy, like any bureaucracy, is designed to support business as usual,
but that can be a liability in periods of upheaval. As Dr. Ash Carter, under secretary
of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, put it, “The troops are at war,
and the Pentagon is not.”
At the same time, speakers acknowledged the difficulty of introducing change in
an organization of the Defense Department’s size and scope. “The system is in
charge,” reflected Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy, commander of the Naval Sea Systems
Command. “It doesn’t matter how good an idea is. It takes lots of leadership to
make it happen.”
Aug. 23–25
The Defense Logistics Agency’s
Enterprise Supplier Conference and
Exhibition in Columbus, Ohio, will focus
on the challenges of providing logistics
support to U.S. troops stationed all over
the world. ( www.ndia.org)
Aug. 31–Sept. 1
The 2010 Supply Chain Leadership
Forum, an event sponsored by the
Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium, will
look at benchmarking, best practices,
and the latest supply chain trends. The
forum takes place in Dallas. (
www.sup-plychainconsortium.com)
Need an excuse to step back and get a big picture view of the state of the supply chain
industry? Are you on the hunt for technology or services that could give your company a
competitive edge? SCOPE (Supply Chain Operations Private Exposition) West might be just
the opportunity you’re looking for.
The event, which takes place at the Red Rock Resort, Casino, and Spa in Las Vegas from
Aug. 29–31, will offer both educational sessions and the chance to have private informational meetings with leading industry vendors. Educational sessions will feature speakers
from companies like Honeywell, Newell Rubbermaid, Tiffany & Co., and Sharp Electronics.
Qualified senior-level supply chain executives receive complimentary registration to the
event (including meals and overnight accommodations). In return, they must attend one-on-one meetings with supply chain solutions providers. To qualify for a free pass, attendees
must be actively looking for new software solutions, equipment, or services and play an influential role in selection. For more information, visit www.scopewest.com.
SCOPE it out!
Sept. 10–12
Have a driver who’s a master at the
wheel? Encourage him or her to enter
the Food Industry Truck Driving
Championship in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
This annual competition is held by the
International Foodservice Distributors
Association. ( www.ifdaonline.org)
Sept. 13–16
Organized by the Institute for Defense
and Government Advancement, the
Military Logistics Summit in Vienna, Va.,
will provide updates on the DOD’s mission priorities as well as information contractors need to support those missions.
( www.militarylogisticssummit.com)
Visitors to ProMat 2011 will not only get to check out the latest forklifts and palletizers; they’ll also have a chance to see the newest robots in action. The Material
Handling Industry of America (MHIA), which sponsors the biennial ProMat
shows, has announced that the 2011 event will be co-located with Automate 2011
(formerly The International Robots, Vision & Motion Control Show). The shows
will take place March 21–24, 2011, at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Registration for
one show automatically includes admission to the other.
Automate 2011 is put on by the Automation Technologies Council, which is an
umbrella group for the Robotic Industries Association, Automated Imaging
Association, and Motion Control Association.
For more information, visit www.promatshow.com.
ProMat 2011: Enter the robots
Sept. 21–22
Re-engineering Your Warehouse, a
two-day course offered by Georgia Tech,
will present techniques for making better
use of facility space and labor. The
course takes place in Atlanta.
( www.dlpe.gatech.edu/scl/association/)
Oct. 28–29
The Sustainable Supply Chain Summit
in San Francisco will feature speakers
from companies like Procter & Gamble,
Verizon, BT Americas Inc., Starbucks,
IBM, Office Depot, and Coca-Cola.
( http://events.eft.com/SSC/index.shtml)
