28 DC VELOCITY FEBRUARY 2015 www.dcvelocity.com
roadtrip
NEW THIS YEAR
Although MHI will be celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the ProMat
show’s organizers continue to try out new ideas and formats. New this year is a
supply chain work force summit, which includes two addresses and tracks (for
practitioners and educators) that focus on how to develop the future material
handling and logistics work force.
Also on tap this year are a “meet and greet” for young professionals and presentations of the 2015 ProMat Innovation Awards. MHI will also host a special event
to celebrate the organization’s 70th anniversary, which will include live music,
food, drinks, and entertainment by comedian and impressionist Frank Caliendo.
A special bonus for attendees: Automate, a robotics, machine vision, and
motion-control event sponsored by the Association for Advancing Automation,
is once again co-located with ProMat.
For more information, visit www.promatshow.com.
Logistics and warehouse industry association IWLA will get down to the essential trends and concerns facing warehouse owners in North America at the 2015
IWLA Convention and Expo, a three-day event held in Savannah, Ga.
The convention, which takes place March 8–10, will include networking receptions, committee meetings, educational sessions, an exposition of the latest
solutions and products, and, of course, IWLA’s annual golf tournament.
The educational sessions will address topics such as mergers and acquisitions,
finding talent, legal issues related to warehousing and logistics, commercial real
estate, and transportation law.
The keynote address will be given by Bill Courtney, who was the subject of
the 2011 Oscar award-winning documentary “Undefeated.” The film chronicled
his efforts as a volunteer coach for an inner-city Memphis, Tenn., football team
while also working as CEO of Classic American Hardwoods.
The expo portion of the event will give attendees an opportunity to speak
with product and service providers and learn about new tools and resources.
Exhibitors include forklift manufacturers, staffing companies, software manufacturers, lighting companies, fan companies, and sales/marketing firms. (www.
iwla.com/events-site/iwla-convention-expo/)
If you’re dreaming of becoming a supply chain superstar, you might want to buy
a ticket for the midnight train to Georgia at the end of March. Although it’s run
by a state organization, the Georgia Logistics Summit is international in scope.
In 2014, the summit hosted 2,200 attendees from 38 states and 11 nations, making it one of the largest logistics events in the country. Organizers of the 2015
summit, scheduled for March 31–April 1 at the Georgia World Congress Center
in Atlanta, expect it to at least match those numbers.
This year’s conference will include sessions on international logistics, the
logistics of manufacturing, e-commerce, intermodal, and perishables. Speakers
at the summit will include industry experts from companies such as 3M,
Chico’s, Chick-fil-A, and Keurig Green Mountain. Craig Menear, CEO and
president of The Home Depot, will give the keynote presentation on “The
Logistics of Creating a Seamless Retail Experience.” ( www.georgialogistics.com/
logistics-summit/)
Down to brass tacks
Take the midnight train to Georgia
April 8–9
Home Delivery World in Atlanta
will bring together e-tailers and
retailers to discuss how to deliver
merchandise to customers more
cost effectively and efficiently.
( www.terrapinn.com/conference/
home-delivery-world/)
April 12–16
NASSTRAC’s Annual Shippers
Conference and Transportation
Expo will offer more than 25 educational sessions on topics ranging from capacity challenges and
cost management to carrier issues
like CSA, hours of service, and fuel
surcharges. ( www.nasstrac.org)
April 15–18
The Transportation Intermediaries
Association says its Capital Ideas
Conference & Exhibition in
Orlando, Fla., will be the world’s
largest gathering of brokerage-based third-party logistics
service providers. (www.tianet.
org)
April 18–22
The Material Handling Equipment
Distributors Association’s Annual
Convention and Exhibitors
Showcase in San Antonio, Texas,
is all about how to create a corporate culture that rocks. (www.
mheda.org)
April 26–28
The National Private Truck
Council’s Annual Conference in
Cincinnati will include the organization’s yearly board and committee meetings as well as keynote addresses and educational
sessions. ( www.nptc.org)
April 26–29
JDA’s Focus 2015 conference will
provide a close-up look at JDA’s
supply chain planning and execution systems as well as user best
practices. ( www.jda.com/focus/
about.html)
