ProMatDX virtual show opens

With much of the world doing business virtually right now, it made perfect sense for MHI to take this year’s ProMat show online. This change not only made the show accessible to sponsors, attendees and expert speakers around the globe, but it also allowed MHI to include some unique elements that may carry over into the physical world, once it’s safe to hold large, in-person events again.

A new event experience designed to “power up” manufacturing and supply chain professionals, the ProMat Digital Experience (ProMatDX) will give attendees access to the latest solutions they need now to improve the resiliency and agility of their operations. The event combines the power of the connections, solution-sourcing and education with the latest digital event technology in a five-day event.

“ProMatDX is truly where manufacturing and supply chain automation comes to life,” said MHI CEO John Paxton. “Only at ProMatDX can attendees gain actionable insights into improving their operations, see the leading innovations in action in product demos and educational sessions, and make meaningful connections with peers and solution providers through state-of-the-art AI matchmaking.”

Because this event is virtual, estimating potential attendee numbers was difficult. However, if past “live” shows are any indication, ProMatDX could attract more than 45,000 visitors (2019’s attendance number) during this week. Just prior to the show, Daniel McKinnon, MHI’s executive VP of exhibitions and events, said that while attendee estimates were still up in the air, the organization learned from other virtual event producers that “registrations come much later” for digital shows.

“We’re able to see who is registering and ensure that it’s a qualified audience,” McKinnon said. “We’re very excited about being able to provide the engagement that our members and our sponsors (or exhibitors) have come to expect from MHI on this new platform.”

Today, during the first day of the show, attendees can learn about e-commerce order fulfillment during an educational session, hear about how Cloud-based technologies are helping a glass repair/replacement company lead its industry, or get the fundamentals of order. Other sessions scheduled on Monday focus on micro-fulfillment, handling the returns process, and extending the benefits of automation across the enterprise.

Sponsors, demos and education

The show features 360 sponsors, 655 product demonstrations, 106 educational sessions, 18 roundtables, four keynotes, and five daily recaps, according to MHI. Similar to past shows, MHI will also present its Innovation Awards and run a contest (for attendees who engage the most with the ProMatDX platform) that benefits Feeding America.

All registered and logged in ProMatDX attendees are eligible for the contest. Daily winners will be rewarded with a $500 gift card as well as a $500 donation in their name to Feeding America. The daily winners will participate in a lucky draw for a $5,000 trip voucher and a $5,000 donation in their name to Feeding America. Throughout the

ProMatDX event, a total of $7,500 will be donated to Feeding America on behalf of the contest winners.

Industry keynotes and showcases

ProMatDX will offer four virtual keynote presentations, including “Transformation in Action: Introducing the 2021 MHI Innovation Award Winners” (on April 12); “Beyond Covid-19: Building Supply Chain Resilience is the Key to Recovery and Preparing for Future Disruption” (April 13); “Innovation Driven Resilience: How technology helps supply chains respond, recover, and thrive even amid disruption” (April 14); and “Women in Supply Chain: Delivering Proven Success Strategies” (April 15).

The show also features sponsor showcases and product demonstrations; digital seminars; the MHI Young Professionals Networking Session (on April 12); and women’s networking roundtables (April 15). ProMatDX will also feature daily recap sessions of what took place ProMatDX that day.

Get ready for a dynamic event

McKinnon says MHI and its members put much time and effort into producing “a very dynamic event” that emulates the best aspects of a traditional ProMat show in a virtual setting. The Grip matchmaking portal, for example, takes networking to a new level by infusing it with artificial intelligence (AI).

Using demographics provided by the sponsors and attendees, and then incorporating data from other sources, Grip determines best fits for attendee-sponsor interactions. “This will eliminate time-wasting during the event,” said McKinnon, who notes that the AI-enabled networking tool will also be used at the live Modex event scheduled for March 2022.

Because this ProMatDX is a virtual event, MHI decided to refer to exhibitors as “sponsors,” namely because they aren’t technically exhibiting on a traditional show floor. All sponsors are MHI member-qualified, McKinnon said, with the vast majority being members of the organization. The sponsors cross many different lines of business, including technology, automation, robotics, materials handling, storage, pallets, racks and “all of the products that one has become accustomed to seeing a lot of at ProMat,” said McKinnon.

With 360 sponsors participating in the show, McKinnon said MHI could focus on those companies that were truly interested in talking to and meeting with attendees, and that needed a platform for demonstrating their latest innovations. He said some attendees are offering multiple product demos, with most opting to use video to spotlight those innovations. During those demos, attendees can take part in a live Q&A with the sponsor—a feature that won’t be available in the post-show experience.

“This is one of many reasons to attend the actual event and not wait for everything to be archived later,” McKinnon pointed out. “The live Q&A will be going on during the event, which means that the interaction, networking and discussions (using the chat option, live video meetings or phone calls) will only be available if you’re attending live.”