Supply chain problems are no longer just supply problems. They are people, customer, and end-to-end transparency problems. Taking advantage of emerging tech and innovation is the best way to ensure that your operations can resist, absorb, recover and even thrive from any supply chain disruption that comes your way. The best way to do this is to arm yourself with the solutions, education and connections available at ProMat 2023.

The past couple of years have been quite a ride for supply chains. But things are starting to normalize a bit, giving supply chain professionals time to catch their breath. Use this time wisely to prepare, to innovate rather than react, to find out what works and what doesn’t. Thankfully, there is an excellent place to start the journey. This month at Chicago’s McCormick Place, more than 1,000 exhibitors will be on hand at ProMat 2023 to showcase the latest in supply chain tech.

Urgency is the default state of being for ProMat keynote speaker José Andrés. His humanitarian organization, World Central Kitchen (WCK), sprung from his wife’s idea that people in crisis need food now. In 2010, Andrés cooked for Haitians after a massive earthquake. Since then, his WCK has grown to serve meals on such frontlines as the Australian bushfires, the Kentucky tornadoes, and the war in Ukraine. Demonstrating Andrés’ sense of immediacy, WCK began providing food to Ukrainians just one day after Russia invaded the country. WCK is now at the forefront of relief efforts in Turkey in response to the recent earthquake.

Join us for an evening of recognition, networking and fun at MHI Industry Night at ProMat. This event will feature the naming of the 2023 MHI Innovation Award and 2023 MHI Startup winners as well as laughs from comedian Nate Bargatze. Bargatze was featured as one of Esquire's 'Best New Comedians' by Jim Gaffigan, one of Marc Maron's 'Comedians to Watch' in Rolling Stone, one of Variety's "10 Comics to Watch,” and as #1 on Vulture's '50 Comedians You Should Know.’ 

After receiving 156 submissions for the 2023 MHI Innovation Awards from ProMat 2023 exhibitors, MHI announces the four finalists chosen as the most innovative products in each category - Best New Innovation; Best Innovation of an Existing Product; and Best IT Innovation based on concept, value, and impact. 

The StartUp Pavilion is a specialized area on the ProMat show floor where companies showcase emerging supply chain tech and innovation.

Well, it’s time to brush the dust off the suitcase and hope the khakis and blazer aren’t too snug, because early reports suggest ProMat 2023 (March 20 to 23) is going to be a whopper.

Looking at attendees that have registered to date, they are high in quality from a buying authority perspective and represent a large number of the Fortune 1000 and top 100 retailers and consumer goods firms that are bringing their teams to the show. These attendees are looking for more automation, robotics and tech solutions to move their supply chains into the future. See the demographics from attendees that are registered for ProMat.

For ten years, MHI and Deloitte have collaborated on a series of annual reports on the state of supply chain innovation, trends and technology. At ProMat 2023 MHI’s John Paxton and Deloitte’s Wanda Johnson will provide a comprehensive overview of future trends in the supply chain industry during a keynote panel unveiling the 2023 MHI Annual Industry Report: The Responsible Supply Chain – Transparency, Sustainability and the Case for Business.

Longevity certainly describes the career of ProMat keynote Ron Howard. This popular actor and director made his stage debut when just 18 months old. Despite growing up on TV sets, Howard never lost his thrill for the entertainment business. Today, at age 68, Howard continues to pursue the creative projects that inspire him – even when he bangs into roadblocks.

 

Getting more women into leadership roles is what motivates ProMat keynote Michelle Dilley. As the CEO of AWESOME, an organization that brings together senior women leaders in the supply chain industry, Dilley is keenly aware of the obstacles females face when trying to reach upper levels of management.

To make the most of your ProMat 2023 experience, take advantage of the ProMat on-floor seminars! In addition to the 1,000+ exhibitor booths you will find in Chicago, these educational sessions provide an opportunity to interact with manufacturing and supply chain experts. 

With the daily grind of your workload, it might be hard to make time for continued education. One of the advantages of attending ProMat 2023 is the opportunity to deepen your knowledge. Our MHI Industry Groups will lead numerous ProMat seminars in Chicago that allow you to dig deeper into featured topics. 

To help with your pre-show planning, download a printable copy of the ProMat Expo Guide. The guide includes a daily schedule of events at ProMat.

Now is the time to make sure you are ready to hit the ground running to get the most out of this experience. ProMat is a big event with a lot going on. Don’t think you can pull this one off without any planning! If you have not registered to attend yet, registration is offered at no cost if you pre-register.

When attending an event, there is nothing worse than being unable to find your way around, or find a specific exhibitor or educational session—or a cup of coffee! To help you navigate all of the great features at this year’s show, we've put together some useful tips.

Whether your are craving deep dish pizza, a Chicago style hot dog, and Italian beef sandwich, or one of Chicago’s famous steaks, you will NOT go hungry during your visit to Windy City. In fact, there are so many choices, it can be overwhelming.

Bringing your team to ProMat? MHI makes it easy for you to register them quickly and efficiently at no cost. The benefits of bringing a group to ProMat are many - you can map out your show strategy as a team, then divide and conquer the 550,000-square-foot show floor to make sure your company can personally meet with exhibitors of interest and attend all relevant educational sessions. 

DC Velocity magazine just released the ProMat 2023 Planner. The planner includes helpful information on the event and insider details on Chicago.

The future of supply chains is within your grasp – reach out and touch it at ProMat. Over 1,060 exhibits from leading solution providers, 150 educational sessions, 4 inspiring keynotes and limitless professional connections await. Don’t miss the biggest supply chain event of 2023!  We have put together a short video to get you ready for ProMat - enjoy! 

 

ProMat 2023 is giving exhibitors one minute to convince attendees why they need to come to their booth when they visit the show. Take a look at the videos that resulted. 

In this timely panel discussion, representatives from Penguin Random House, Finish Line, Mattel, and PFS will share their pandemic-driven experiences in building a resilient supply chain.