“Attendees were manufacturing and supply chain professionals with very specific objectives and buying plans in hand,” said George W. Prest, chief executive officer of the Material Handling Institute (MHI), the Charlotte, N.C.-based show host, in a statement. “They know that investing in the latest supply chain innovations is the key to building and maintaining their competitive advantage. Modex truly lived up to its motto: the greatest supply chain show on Earth. Attendees were impressed with the wide range of material handling, logistics, and supply chain equipment and systems solutions and education offered at Modex, and exhibitors were very impressed with the quantity and quality of attendees.”

Plus, because of its co-location with Supply Chain & Transportation USA and the Georgia Logistics Summit, Modex 2014 was the largest international expo of its kind in North America, according to the MHI.

In addition to the show floor, the event featured a supply chain conference that included three keynote addresses from Gil West, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Delta Air Lines Inc.; William L. Strang, president of Toto USA Inc.’s American operations group; and former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Officer Lee Scott.

During the March 19 keynote, the MHI’s Prest and Scott Sopher, principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP’s supply chain practice, released the findings of “The 2014 MHI Annual Industry Report – Innovations That Drive Supply Chains.” The report notes that the two major barriers preventing innovation in the supply chain are talent shortages and a continuing focus on cost reduction. It also found that the Top 2 strategic priorities of executives are supply chain analytics and multichannel fulfillment, but these decision makers also are thinking about sustainability, mobility, machine-to-machine technology and 3-D printing to prepare for the future.

The Modex Supply Chain Conference also included 150 educational seminars outlining leading trends, best practices and state-of-the-art equipment and technology solutions. To educate future supply chain employees, Modex also hosted a Classroom Day during the show to introduce more than 300 high school and university students and educators to career opportunities in material handling, supply chain and logistics. Educational opportunities included hands-on learning, networking with industry professionals, and a guided tour of the Modex expo.

 The MHI also announced that the next Modex show will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in April 2016. Next year, the MHI will host ProMat 2015 from March 23 to 26 in Chicago. For more information about ProMat, visit promatshow.com.