Modex 2016: Returning to the Peach State, set to welcome 25,000+ attendees

Attendees of Modex 2016 will find more than 800 exhibits from industry, commerce and government throughout the show floor in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center Hall B. Spread over four days (April 4-7), the event also includes four keynotes, two new education tracks and the debut of off-site facility tours—in addition to more than 100 on-the-show-floor educational sessions.

Now in its third iteration, Modex has grown steadily in attendance and exhibits, says George Prest, CEO of MHI. “We’ve sold out all 230,000 square feet of Modex, as well as welcomed back the co-located Supply Chain & Transportation USA Exhibition & Conference (SCT).”

Further making the event a one-stop destination, registered attendees not only gain full access to Modex, but also free entry into the SCT exhibits. There, four solution centers—transportation, logistics, industrial real estate and the future of supply chain—are located inside the Modex show, to the right of the main entrance.

“When we originally concepted Modex, it was based on research that showed there was a need for a supply chain-centric show in North America, Prest adds. “The growth of the show’s popularity shows clearly that we’ve filled a void, and the co-location with SCT allows attendees to further maximize their time.”

To make it easier for attendees to find the solutions they need, the Modex 2016 show floor is divided into four solution centers:

• Manufacturing & Assembly: Featuring automated assembly support, intelligent devices, robotics, ergonomic and safety equipment, workstations, light-rail and other assembly assist equipment and systems and solutions for the manufacturing environment.

• Fulfillment & Delivery: Showcases solutions for traditional or e-commerce order fulfillment, order picking and packaging, third-party logistics, warehousing, distribution or transportation.

• Information Technology (IT): Highlighting supply chain software solutions, RFID, auto-ID and data collection, transportation management systems, manufacturing execution systems, logistics execution systems, enterprise resource planning and order management systems.

• The Knowledge Center: Offering resources in on-show floor theaters to educate and build awareness of what the materials handling and logistics industry has to offer the supply chain as a whole.

Education tracks
Modex 2016 offers the debut of two new educational tracks, as well as off-site facility tours, designed to help you maximize your time at the show.

Free to all registered attendees, the Supply Chain Education Summit runs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It features more than 30 organizations and educational institutions, presentations and seminars, table top displays, the annual Student Days event that welcomes high school and college students and their instructors to the show (Wednesday and Thursday).

Also offered under the Supply Chain Education Summit—but not included in the price of registration—are tours of Atlanta-area supply chain facilities. Advance registration of $50 per tour can be accessed on modexshow.com. Available are the TOTO distribution center on Tuesday, the KIA Motors assembly plant and contract manufacturing partner Tech/Scanfil on Wednesday, and Hartsfield-Jackson Air Cargo facility on Thursday.

On Tuesday, MHI’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) hosts the Next Generation Supply Chain Workforce educational track, exploring the many issues faced by supply chain workers of the future. Capped off with a networking session from 5 p.m.–6 p.m., four presentations are included during the day:

• “It’s Not Just for the Guys Anymore,” a panel discussion of women in the supply chain industry, 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

• “The Future of Work Today: Insights from the New World of Work,” a presentation by Seth Mattison, expert on workforce trends and generational dynamics, 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

• “The Changing Faces in Workforce,” a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion throughout supply chain workplaces, 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

• “How Women Can Succeed in the Workplace (Despite Having ‘Female Brains’),” a presentation by author and filmmaker Valerie Alexander, from 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Industry night
On Wednesday, from 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m., you can join other Modex attendees and exhibitors at MHI’s Industry Night in the Thomas Murphy Ballroom on Level 5 of Hall B at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The event features networking, a chance to win a Porche Cayman, food, drinks and a live concert show by The Official Blues Brothers, Blues Brothers Soul Band Rhythm and Blues Tribute. Tickets are $50 per guest, pre-paid on modexshow.com, and can be picked up at the Modex registration counter between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. by presenting an e-mail confirmation. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. (MHEFI).

Keynotes
This year, Modex features four keynote addresses, all located in the Georgia World Congress Center Hall B’s Thomas Murphy Ballroom on Level 5. The first runs Monday from 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. and features Peter Diamandis, chairman and CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation.

In “How to Create a Culture of Innovation Within Your Company,” Diamandis will offer insights into how to incentivize innovative thinking and breakthroughs. Recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the world’s 50 greatest leaders, he will discuss how traditional thinking, risk-aversion and incrementalism leads to the demise of companies unable to cope with disruptive innovation. His talk will highlight how the rapid growth of key exponential technologies (nano, info, bio) empowers individuals and companies to do what only governments were able to achieve in past decades, and share how to drive breakthrough thinking focused on achieving clear, measurable, and objective results.

Tuesday, from 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m., Jack Allen, senior director of global logistics and supply chain operations for Cisco, will present “The Connected Supply Chain.” Allen will discuss the maturity curve companies follow as they connect nodes and systems across their supply chain—encompassing all the factories, warehouses, DCs, logistics partners, suppliers and design partners in one integrated system. He will also examine the role the Internet of Things (IoT) plays in achieving optimal energy efficiency across supply chain resources, and the impact of disruptive technologies on supply chain strategy.

On Wednesday, the first of two keynote presentations unveils the key findings of the annual MHI Industry Report, conducted in partnership with Deloitte Consulting. The “Preview of the MHI Industry Report” will be presented by George Prest, CEO of MHI, and Scott Sopher of Deloitte from 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. The extensive report on supply chain and materials handling trends and technologies draws upon a series of surveys conducted in January. Both MHI members and supply chain end users were asked to verify and rank what each group expects to focus on in the next two to three years.

The second Wednesday keynote, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., features Kevin O’Leary, one of North America’s most successful entrepreneurs and one of the four investors featured on the ABC’s TV show “Shark Tank” and previously on Canadian TV’s “Dragon’s Den.” In “Lessons from a Dragon,” O’Leary will share entertaining and insightful outtakes from his TV shows, while delving into a current economic overview and how it relates to the manufacturing and supply chain industry. He will also offer insights into how the industry is performing, where innovation is coming from and how to grow your business.

Information about all Modex-related events can be accessed on the official Modex app. The app offers an interactive map, exhibitor search, educational sessions search and information about the four keynotes.

Attendees can also access their personalized agenda using the mobile app. Available free at both Android and Apple app stores, downloading information can be found at modexshow.com/app.

Follow Modern’s coverage of the show.