MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
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The manufacturing and supply chain community came together for a return to in-person trade shows with a record-setting MODEX event. Over 37,047 visitors connected with over 857 exhibitors across 405,000 square feet of exhibit space at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.
This was the largest MODEX event to date for MHI, with 20% more visitors than the last pre-pandemic show—MODEX 2018. Additionally, the direct economic impact of this event to the Atlanta area is estimated to be $45 million.
“MODEX 2022 was a huge success and a dramatic return to in-person events for the supply chain industry,” said John Paxton, CEO, MHI. “After two years, exhibitors and attendees were excited to be there and energized by the opportunity to connect and get back to the business of discovering the latest supply chain technology and innovation in-person.”
“The excitement on the show floor and in the educational events is a sign not only of the pent-up demand for the latest solutions and technology, but also the overall strength of this industry,” added Daniel McKinnon, EVP of exhibitions at MHI. “Attendees representing the Fortune 500, the top 100 retailers and consumer goods firms brought large teams to MODEX to source the latest innovations and to learn leading trends impacting supply chains. They came to MODEX with plans in hand and budgets in place to make large deals on-site.”
The dominant trend at MODEX surrounded digital supply chain solutions including automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, the Internet of Things and data analytics.
“We’re seeing a revolutionary acceleration in the adoption of these technologies in manufacturing and supply chain operations,” said Paxton. “The solutions on display this year reflected this trend.”
The tech trend was also evident in MODEX Supply Chain Conference sessions, which included 172 educational seminars and four keynotes. On March 28, Erika Alexander, Marriott’s chief global operations officer, spoke on Marriott’s efforts to anticipate tomorrow’s supply chain challenges and the leadership needed to attract top talent. Dr. Sanjay Gupta discussed the impact of the pandemic and ways to mitigate future health-related disruptions by emphasizing the importance of risk planning and preparedness in his March 29 keynote.
During the March 30 keynote, MHI’s John Paxton and Deloitte’s Thomas Boykin released the findings of the 2022 MHI Annual Industry Report: Evolution to Revolution: Building the Supply Chains of Tomorrow during a panel discussion with four industry thought leaders. The report details the revolutionary adoption of supply chain technology that is predicted to make operations more responsive and agile amid ongoing disruptions. The report can be downloaded at mhi.org/publications/report.
Click here to read the full article in the digital version of MHI Solutions.