Editor’s Note: This is one of the most popular posts we publish every year: our list of supply chain and logistics events to attend in the year ahead. This year’s list remains a work in progress; therefore, please check the event websites for the latest updates. Also, if you have a favorite industry conference not included on the list, please contact us or post it in the comments.
Peer-to-peer learning and networking is more important than ever for supply chain and logistics professionals. Conferences, whether they occur in-person or virtually, are a great example of peer-to-peer learning in action. However, with so many options available, how do you decide which ones to attend? As I’ve shared in the past, here are three questions you should ask yourself:
1. Does the conference agenda align with the key initiatives I’m working on? Simply put, give priority to events where you will walk away with knowledge and information that you can immediately apply at your company to get your job done better and faster. And if you require the support of your technology and 3PL partners to accomplish your initiatives, then you should attend their user conferences and schedule meetings with their senior executives to let them know what’s working well and what improvements they can make to better serve you.
2. Will I learn something new, particularly in an area that I don’t know much about today but is critically important for my career and leadership development? If you’re a transportation professional, for example, and all you know is transportation, your opportunities for advancement are limited compared to someone who has a broader supply chain perspective. So, go ahead, attend a session on Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), supply chain risk management, business intelligence and analytics, or other areas outside your comfort zone to brighten your horizon.
3. Does the event promote peer-to-peer learning and networking or will I spend most of my time sitting through numerous PowerPoint presentations? In my experience, events that enable attendees to share knowledge and advice with each other (via small breakout sessions, for example) instead of just sitting through an endless stream of PowerPoint presentations, provide the greatest learning value.
As we begin 2024, take another look at your budget and calendar and make sure you’re not skimping on talent and leadership development this year.
Below is a short list of the supply chain and logistics conferences scheduled for 2024. I’ve attended many of them in previous years, often as a speaker, and I’ve always walked away with some great insights and new business connections. Here are a few posts I wrote last year sharing my takeaways from various conferences:
- Key Takeaways from SAP Logistics Info Days 2023
- Solve for Y: Takeaways from Manhattan Momentum 2023
- ProMat 2023: The “I” Word & Other Key Takeaways
- SAP Business Network Takes Center Stage at SAP Sapphire 2023
I hope to see many of you, either virtually or in-person, at one or more of the following conferences this coming year. If you’re an event organizer and are interested in having me speak at your conference, please contact me.
Happy learning and networking in 2024!
Vendor Conferences (alphabetical order)
- Blue Yonder: ICON 2024, May 13-16, Grapevine, TX
- Blume Global: Envision 2024, TBA (was in Nov. in 2023)
- Coupa: Inspire 2024, April 22 – 24, Las Vegas, NV
- e2open: Connect 2024, September 30 – October 3, Orlando, FL
- Descartes Systems Group: Innovation Forum (virtual events throughout the year)
- Korber: Elevate 2024, April 21 – 24, San Diego, CA
- Manhattan Associates: Momentum 2024, May 13-16, San Antonio, TX
- McLeod Software: User Conference, September 22-24, Charlotte, NC
- MercuryGate: Velocity 2024, TBA (was virtual 2023)
- Nulogy: xChange 2024, TBA (was in April in 2023)
- Oracle: Oracle Supply Chain Management Events, (various events throughout year)
- RouteSmart Technologies: INTERSECT 2024, TBA (was in September in 2023)
- SAP: SAP Sapphire 2024, June 3-5, Orlando, FL, and SAP Logistics Info Days, TBA (was in October in 2023)
- SMC3: Jump Start 2024, January 20-24 (Atlanta) and Connections 2024, June 24–26, Colorado Springs, CO
- Tecsys: Tecsys User Conference 2024, TBA (was in September in 2023)
- Tranporeon: Transporeon Summit 2024, September (date TBA), Cologne, Germany
- Trimble: in.sight User Conference 2024, September 15-17, Las Vegas, NV
- Uber Freight: Deliver 2024, TBA (was in Sept. in 2023)
Industry Conferences (chronological order)
- Manifest, February 5-7, Las Vegas, NV
- RILA Link 2024 Retail Supply Chain Conference, February 25-28, Dallas, TX
- TPM Annual Conference, March 3-6, Long Beach, CA
- 2024 Food Shippers of America Conference, March 3-5, Orlando, FL
- MODEX, March 11-14, 2024, Atlanta, GA
- LogiChem EU 2024, March 12-14, Rotterdam
- ProMat, NO EVENT IN 2024 (March 17-20, 2025, Chicago, IL)
- LogiMat, March 19 – 21, Stuttgart, Germany
- SITL 2024, March 19-21, Paris, France
- The Logistics World Summit & Expo, April 10-11, Mexico City, Mexico
- TIA 2024 Conference, April 10-13, Phoenix, AZ
- The 2024 IWLA Convention & Expo, April 21-23, Orlando, FL
- SCOPE Supply Chain Summit, April 21 – 23, Las Vegas, NV
- LogiSYM Asia Pacific 2024, May 15-16, Singapore
- 2024 Georgia Logistics Summit, May 16, Savannah, GA
- Reuters Supply Chain USA 2024, May 22-23, Atlanta, GA
- Transport logistic, NO EVENT IN 2024 (June 2-5, 2025, Munich, Germany)
- WERC Annual Conference, June 2-5, Dallas, TX
- FreightWaves The Future of Supply Chain, June 4-5, Atlanta, GA
- GS1 Connect, June 4-6, Orlando, FL
- Home Delivery World 2024, June 5-6, Philadelphia, PA
- TMSA ELEVATE 2024, June 9-11, New Orleans, LA
- The Logistics & Supply Chain Forum, September 8-10, Scottsdale, AZ
- ASCM Connect 2024, September 9-11, Austin, TX
- Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) EDGE 2024, September 29 – October 2, Nashville, TN
- Intermodal Europe 2024, November 11-14, Amsterdam
- 8th Annual European Supply Chain Management Strategies Summit, November 5-6, Munich, Germany