Modex 2012: Tips and tricks for navigating the show

About the Georgia Logistics Summit
A co-located educational event held in conjunction with Modex 2012, the fourth annual Georgia Logistics Summit is expected to draw more than 1,300 attendees. Held in the Georgia Ballroom in Building C of the Georgia World Congress Center, the summit kicks off on Wednesday.

Keynote speakers will address topics around the theme of “Sustainable Competitiveness,” exploring how logistics and logistics-enabled companies can compete and grow. Speakers will present what their companies are doing successfully in logistics to sustain their competitive position, as well as examine topics and trends that might jeopardize competitiveness.

Additionally, the summit includes six breakout sessions—located in rooms 301-307—that feature more than 35 speakers sharing their perspectives on six growth markets: retail products, durable consumer goods, automotive production, food and beverage, intermodal freight, and out-of-gauge freight.

A separate, $45 individual registration fee is required to attend the Georgia Logistics Summit (registration includes a networking reception Tuesday evening). To register, visit summit.georgialogistics.org.

How to Score a Free Ride to the Show
Complimentary shuttle buses will run from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and again from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on three designated routes between all 10 show hotels and the Georgia World Congress Center, all four days of the show. Bus schedules are posted in each hotel, as well as at the convention center.

Show hotels include: Atlanta Marriott Downtown, Embassy Suites Atlanta at Centennial Park, Glenn Hotel (Autograph Collection), Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Downtown, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, The Westin Peachtree Plaza and W Atlanta Downtown.

Where to Park If You’re Driving
There are multiple options for parking near Building C at the Georgia World Congress Center. The Gold Deck, the Blue Lot and the Yellow Lot are the closest to Building C and each has an attendant on duty during Modex 2012 show hours. Parking is $10 for an all-day pass, however, there are no re-entry privileges.

Where Can I Find a Map of the Show
Here’s an online map of Modex 2012 that should give you a general lay of the land. Pick up a copy of the Show Daily each day for a map of the show floor.

Where to Find Business Services
Located in the entrance lobby of the Georgia World Congress Center’s Building C, FedEx Office offers a variety of services, including express and ground shipping, digital color and black and white copying and printing, computer rentals, laptop docking stations, document finishing, production of mounted boards, posters, banners, and copier equipment rentals. Additionally, wheelchairs and mobility scooters may be rented here.

What’s for Lunch?
If grazing from the candy bowls at exhibitors’ booths doesn’t fill you up, Building C of the Georgia World Congress Center offers quick serve kiosks on all four floors with salads, sandwiches and breakfast items. On the C200 level, Food World has a variety of cuisines, including American, Asian, BBQ, Mexican and Italian, as well as a salad bar and potato bar. Additionally, Building C is home to a full-service Starbucks.

Can’t pry yourself away from the show floor? Drop by the Modex Bistro located immediately to the left and the right of the show entrance. The daily lunch menu includes salad, soup and entree choices, vegetables, pasta, beverage choices and dessert included for $20. For $220 a table can be reserved for an entire day as an off-booth place to eat, meet and network, and includes 10 lunch tickets. Additionally, the Modex Bistro is staffed by a concierge who can book dinner reservations as well as offer exclusive deals to restaurants, retailers and Atlanta visitor destinations.

Build Your Library
Are your bookshelves missing the latest in great materials handling literature? Drop by the Modex 2012 Industry Resource Center, a part of the Material Handling Industry of America’s (MHIA) exhibit at Booth 5406. A selection of titles will be available for purchase, as well as access to their entire catalog online for on-the-spot ordering.

MHIA’s online bookstore offers a full range of materials, from books and multimedia about the industry to standards, specifications and application guidelines. Many of the publications are now offered in downloadable PDF format.

Plan Your Downtime in Atlanta
Overwhelmed by the multitude of restaurant and entertainment options offered by Atlanta? Need some ideas for how to spend your time away from Modex? The Modex Bistro is staffed by a concierge who can book dinner reservations as well as offer exclusive deals to restaurants, retailers and Atlanta visitor destinations.

A number of local Web sites can give you ideas as well. For a list of 50 different attractions—ranging from cultural attractions and sporting events to amusement parks and shopping—check out atlanta.net.

Where Can I Learn More About ProMat 2013?
ProMat, the premier material handling and logistics show held in North America and presented by the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), will again co-locate with the Automate Show and Conference, presented by the Automation Technologies Council (ATC). Both exhibitions will be held January 21-24, 2013 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“Because Automate is the premier event for robots, vision, motion control and related automation solutions in North America, it was an easy decision to co-locate the two events again, after our first successful collaboration in 2011,” says George Prest, CEO for MHIA. “The co-location of Automate with ProMat 2013 will allow manufacturing, distribution and supply chain professionals unparalleled education and networking opportunities, as well as exposure to the largest equipment and technology display of any show of its kind in North America.”

“We had such terrific feedback from attendees and exhibitors in 2011 that it made perfect sense to build upon and expand our collocation in 2013,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of ATC. “We’re looking forward to an outstanding Automate event that educates current and potential users on how automation solutions can help them improve productivity, boost product quality, speed time to market, reduce costs and become stronger global competitors.”

The co-located ProMat 2013 and Automate 2013 will be the largest international event and conference of its kind ever held in the U.S. Over 825 exhibitors are expected to showcase their solutions to some 30,000 professionals from over 100 countries in industries such as warehousing/distribution, automotive, alternative energy, consumer goods, defense, food and beverage, electronics, lab automation, medical, pharmaceutical, plastics, printing, security, semiconductors and more. For more information, visit [url=http://www.promatshow.com]http://www.promatshow.com[/url].

Modex 2012 is scheduled to be held February 6-9, 2012 in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry. Modern’s complete Modex 2012 coverage.