MHI Hosts Record-Breaking MODEX 2022 Supply Chain Event at Georgia World Congress Center
May 17, 2022
MHI, the international trade association representing the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry, brought its largest MODEX event ever to Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) March 28-30, drawing more than 37,000 attendees and more than 850 exhibitors to a show floor that spanned 405,000 square feet of space.
According to John Paxton, CEO of MHI, MODEX 2022 was a huge success, a dramatic return to in-person events for the supply chain industry and a boon for the Atlanta area, with the direct economic impact of the event estimated to be $45 million.
“After two years, exhibitors and attendees were excited to be there and energized by the opportunity to connect and get back to the business of discovering the latest supply chain technology and innovation in-person,” Paxton said.
The excitement on the show floor and the educational events was a sign not only of the pent-up demand for the latest solutions and technology, but also the overall strength of this industry, added Daniel McKinnon, executive vice president of exhibitions at MHI.
“Attendees representing the Fortune 500, the top 100 retailers and consumer goods firms brought large teams to MODEX to source the latest innovations and to learn leading trends impacting supply chains,” McKinnon said. “They came to MODEX with plans in hand and budgets in place to make large deals on-site.”
The dominant trend 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 revolutionary acceleration in the adoption of these technologies in manufacturing and supply chain operations,” Paxton said. “The solutions on display this year reflected this trend.”
The tech trend and other hot topics were also evident in MODEX Supply Chain Conference sessions, which included 172 educational seminars attended by more than 13,500 people as well as four keynotes.
On March 28, Erika Alexander, Marriott’s chief global operations officer, spoke on Marriott’s efforts to anticipate tomorrow’s supply chain challenges and discussed the leadership needed to attract top talent.
On March 29, Dr. Sanjay Gupta discussed the impact of the pandemic and ways to mitigate future health-related disruptions by emphasizing the importance of risk planning and preparedness during his keynote.
During the March 30 keynote, Paxton and Thomas Boykin, supply chain specialist at Deloitte Consulting, released the findings of the 2022 MHI Annual Industry Report, “Evolution to Revolution: Building the Supply Chains of Tomorrow” during a panel discussion with four industry thought leaders. The report details the revolutionary adoption of supply chain technology that is predicted to make operations more responsive and agile amid ongoing disruptions. The report can be downloaded here.
The March 30 afternoon keynote featured Shaquille O’Neal, who delighted the audience with tales of his storied basketball and business career.
During Industry Night, comedian Preacher Lawson provided the entertainment, and $45,000 was raised through the event, with $5,000 donated to Atlanta’s Habitat for Humanity and $40,000 donated to the Material Handling Education Foundation to fund scholarships and programs for students and educators in the industry.
MHI also announced the winners of the 2022 MHI Innovation Awards during Industry Night. The MHI Innovation Awards serve to educate and provide valuable insights on the latest manufacturing and supply chain innovative products and services. The awards had 121 submissions from MODEX 2022 exhibitors. The winners were:
- Best New Product: Phantom Auto
- Best IT Innovation: Veryable
- Best Innovation of an Existing Product: Ancra Systems BV
Meanwhile, Student Day at MODEX introduced 305 high school and university students and educators from 33 schools to career opportunities in material handling, supply chain and logistics through hands-on learning and networking with industry professionals. This year’s Student Day combined an interactive educational session with a dynamic guided tour of the MODEX expo.
On-demand content from the event, including keynote sessions, educational sessions and video presentations are available online via MODEX Digital Entry.
The next MHI-sponsored trade event will be ProMat 2023, scheduled for March 20-23 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The next MODEX is set for March 11-14, 2024, at the GWCC.
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