MHI's MODEX 2024 saw a record-shattering number of registered manufacturing and supply chain professionals, reaching a total of 48,733. The event, which took place March 11-14 in Atlanta, saw attendees engaged with 1,200 exhibitors showcasing the latest supply chain technology and innovation across three halls and 580,000 net square feet at the Georgia World Congress Center. This was the largest MODEX event to date for MHI, with 32% more registered visitors than MODEX 2022, it says.  

“From attendance to exhibition space and educational sessions, MODEX 2024 exceeded all expectations, delivering our largest and most comprehensive supply chain event to date,” said John Paxton, CEO at MHI, in a statement. “The success of this event is a testament to the industry’s ongoing vitality, dedication to innovation, and delivering world-class solutions for supply chain operations. It was a massive win for the entire industry.” 

Daniel McKinnon, executive vice president of exhibitions at MHI, added: “The excitement on the show floor and the engagement in educational sessions is a sign of the overall power of the supply chain industry and the demand for the latest solutions and technologies in the space. Attendees representing the Fortune 500, the top 100 retailers, and top 100 consumer goods firms brought large teams to MODEX with plans in hand and budgets in place to make large supply chain investments.” 

The biggest trends at MODEX surrounded digital supply chain solutions including automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, the Internet of Things, and data analytics. 

“We’re seeing a big acceleration in the adoption of these technologies to build resilience, sustainability and real-time responsiveness into operations,” Paxton said. “The solutions on display and the education offered this year reflected this trend.”  

The MODEX Supply Chain Conference sessions included 200 educational seminars and five keynotes. On March 11, Bill Seward, President, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, spoke on the lessons he has learned at the front lines of UPS’s supply chain efforts. The March 11 afternoon keynote tackled the future of smart ports with representatives from the Ports of Rotterdam, Long Beach, and Virginia. Futurist Gerd Leonhard discussed the exponential change we will see in the coming age of AI in his March 12 keynote. 

The March 13 keynote featured Coach Nick Saban who delighted and inspired the audience with tales of leadership from his storied football career. 

During the March 13 afternoon keynote, MHI’s Paxton and Deloitte’s Wanda Johnson released the findings of the 2024 MHI Annual Industry Report: “The Collaborative Supply Chain – Tech-Driven and Human-Centric,” featuring a panel discussion with four industry thought leaders. The report includes new insights into trends and technologies that are transforming supply chains and the priorities of the people who run them. 

The next MHI-sponsored trade event will be ProMat 2025, taking place March 17-20 in Chicago’s McCormick Place.