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Latest Updates
The manufacturing and supply chain community came together for a record-setting ProMat exhibition, according to show producer MHI. With an overall registration count of 52,223 and 1,160 exhibitors, ProMat included 659,000 net square feet of exhibit solutions and 215 educational sessions across three show halls at Chicago’s McCormick Place. This was the largest ProMat to date for MHI, with 3% more registered attendees than the last ProMat. Attendees came from the United States and 143 countries across the globe. “ProMat brings this industry together to connect and share the best equipment and technology, the leading trends and the latest innovations. The success of ProMat 2025 is proof of the central role the supply chain plays across industries,” says John Paxton, CEO, MHI. “No other event offers this broad range of technology and end-to-end solutions, ProMat’s unparalleled solution-sourcing, educational and experiential offerings provide attendees with a one-stop shop for the information and connections they need to thrive in this constantly changing marketplace.”   
This year's ProMat showcased cutting-edge technologies, drawing 52,223 attendees. The show had a lively show floor, education sessions, networking opportunities and much more - and we caught it all on video! Catch up on all the action - click here to watch the video.
The ProMat Digital Entry will provide attendees with digital access to keynote sessions, educational sessions, videos, exhibitor showcases and more. Digital Entry will be coming in late April – check the ProMat site for updates.
Want to continue using the incredible resources you discovered at ProMat? Here are some invaluable tools:
Mark your calendar now - next year's MODEX is in Atlanta on April 13-16. MODEX is where the manufacturing and supply chain decision-makers come together for the world’s largest supply chain experience. From hands‑on product demonstrations to one-on-one meetings, attendees come to see the latest equipment and tech, connect with key suppliers and make strategic capital equipment buying decisions for their future operations. There is no cost to attend the exhibits and conference sessions. Register today for free admission. 
Conference News
Modern Materials Handling
Forget the latest shiny new humanoids for a second, the established vendors in warehouse robotics are by no means standing still, and they had the new systems and enhancements to prove it at ProMat 2025.
IndustryWeek
ProMat 2025 brought tens of thousands and supply chain and material handling professionals to Chicago to see what's new and innovative.
DesignNews
From supply chain systems to flexible robotics, the bi-annual Chicago-based show demonstrated the future of production & distribution products.
The Robot Report
In Episode 188 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe, Mike Oitzman, and Eugene Demaitre recap robots that they encountered during the two major trade shows this week: ProMat and NVIDIA’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC).
Keynotes, Sessions & Seminars
On Monday morning, Paul Zikopoulos started ProMat off strong with insights on the importance of data collection and the effective implementation of that data through the use of AI. Zikopoulos is an award-winning tech thought-leader and writer who has shared his expertise on AI and big data on the popular TV show 60 Minutes, as well as in publications such as Technopedia and Analytics Week.
Zikopoulos gave a comprehensive overview of the use of data in daily operations. He said that AI has now been democratized for many, and is more accessible – but how that data is being used varies widely.
Here are some highlights from his keynote:
Azeem Azhar's keynote on Tuesday morning shed light on the transformative power of AI and robotics for the supply chain industry. Azhar, considered one of the world’s most influential thinkers on the impact of technology on humanity, is the founder of the 'Exponential View' newsletter and podcast, and is also a researcher, investor and entrepreneur.
Azhar began by acknowledging the challenging years supply chain industries have faced, with disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain bottlenecks like the incident in the Suez Canal, and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Despite these challenges, the emergence of AI presents an opportunity for supply chains to evolve and thrive in a more complex world. The key theme of the talk was the exponential growth in AI's capabilities, driven by advancements in machine learning and robotics. Azhar pointed out that the rapid evolution of AI systems — from simple tools to intelligent agents capable of performing complex tasks — has made AI an increasingly vital part of the business landscape. He noted that the cost of AI technology has fallen dramatically, with some systems dropping in price by up to 900-fold, making them accessible to a wide range of organizations.
Deion Sanders knows how to wow a crowd. As an athlete and coach, he was truly legendary, projecting a larger-than-life persona of “Prime Time.” In Wednesday morning’s keynote, Sanders gave his view of success, both personally and professionally.
Sanders was an eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion over 14 seasons in the NFL. As current head coach of the University of Colorado, he now inspires players and fans with his highly motivational coaching style. But things didn’t start as sunny. Sanders said he has always been the underdog, and that motivated him to succeed, and even dominate on the field. Now, he wants to help others get, as he said, that place called “there” – which is whatever success looks like for you. Coming from humble beginnings, Sanders yearned to make it big. He said his mother never saw him play a game in high school because she worked the night shift, and his father wasn’t around. He vowed that once he made it big, his mother would never have to work another day, and in 1989 when he went to the NFL, that vow was realized.  In Wednesday afternoon’s keynote, MHI CEO John Paxton Wanda Johnson of Deloitte presented the findings from the 2025 MHI Industry Report, which highlights trends and issues facing the supply chain industry. To start off, Paxton presented an overview – here are the highlights: Among the key survey findings, top supply chain challenges include hiring & retaining workers (52%); talent shortage (45%); forecasting (44%); and customer demands (43%).
In this year’s report, 55% of respondents said they are planning to increase investment in technology, with 60% planning to invest more than $1 million and are planning to invest more than $10 million.
The winners of the 2025 MHI Innovation Award were announced at Industry Night. After receiving 223 submissions, 12 finalists were chosen, three in each category based on concept, value and impact. The 2025 winners are: Best New Innovation: Anyware Robotics Inc. Click here for a full list of 2025 MHI Innovation Award submissions.
The 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report has been released. Titled, “The Digital Supply Chain Ecosystem: Orchestrating End-to-End Solutions," the report provides updates on the innovative technologies that have the most potential to transform supply chains. The report is the 12th in a series of annual industry reports published by MHI and Deloitte. According to the report, 55% of supply chain leaders are increasing their supply chain technology and innovation investments with 60% saying they are planning to spend over $1 million. Nineteen percent plan to spend over $10 million. These investments include solutions for improved supply chain resiliency and transparency and as well as solutions for the ongoing workforce and talent shortage. The report includes new insights into trends and technologies that are transforming supply chains and the priorities of the people who run them. To read the full findings, download the report here.
At the 2025 Industry Night, the winner of the 2025 StartUp Pitch Competition was named. Freespace Robotics took top honors, bringing home a check for $10,000. Freespace Robotics' website gives more information on their award-winning product, saying: "Unlike conventional AS/RS systems focused primarily on storage and retrieval, Freespace’s dynamic deep-lane rack design integrates sorting, pre-staging, and sequencing directly into the cube." Congratulations, Freespace Robotics! Did you miss any of the daily ProMat recap videos? It's not too late to catch up - click on the video below to watch now! To view all the videos, go to the MHIview ProMat 2025 channel.
ProMat Insights
As the only conference dedicated to warehousing and distribution center operations, the WERC 2025 conference is your gateway for opportunities to elevate efficiency and gain a clear vision of what it takes to succeed in the future. 
Videos & Sponsors
ProMat is over, but you can still relive all of the exciting happenings. Go to the MHIview ProMat 2025 channel for recap videos, including interviews with keynotes, discussions with exhibitors and feedback from attendees sharing their view of the action at ProMat. Click here to access the channel.
This year, for the first time, a podcast was taped during ProMat, and all episodes have been uploaded. In this podcast, the industry’s best minds were interviewed to uncover real-world case studies and get unique perspectives on key trends and emerging technologies. Click here to listen to the podcast. 
Networking
Want to learn more about MHI Solutions magazine or MHI? Visit MHISolutionsmag.com, access the online media guide or reach out to:
 Our weekly artificial intelligence (AI) newsletter, MHI Newswire, uses AI to customize your newsletter. Each week, the articles contained in your MHI Newswire will be selected by the AI program as ones that will interest you most based on your clicking and reading habits from previous weeks. The more articles you click, the more the program will be able to finetune its selections for you, giving you a truly customized reading experience. Subscribe today!
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