SMC³ to “Jump Start” 2009 with Comprehensive Supply Chain Conference
Industry Association and Technology Provider says Attendees will get “First-Mover Advantage”
Atlanta, Ga. - October 15, 2008—Longtime transportation industry association and technology provider SMC³ today announced the agenda and speaker line-up for its 2009 Winter Conference. The educational and networking conference, entitled, "2009 Jump Start: Supply Chain’s Q1 Conference", is scheduled to take place Jan. 19-21 in Atlanta, and promises to provide a thorough and unique experience for shippers, carriers, logistics service providers and other supply chain professionals.
Addressing the anxiety many feel over the growing need to better control and manage supply chain dynamics in a hostile financial environment, SMC³ built its 2009 Winter Conference program to give attendees educational and informational support that will enable them to begin 2009 with the upper hand, knowing what to expect in the global supply chain and how to plan for it. Educational sessions will delve into today’s common issues as well as future trends, and industry experts will provide the insight needed to establish both short- and long-term sustainability in the next era of transportation and energy.
“Without a doubt, the coming year will present supply chain professionals with both challenges and opportunities in their day-to-day operations,” Jack E. Middleton, SMC³ president and CEO, said. “Now more than ever it is imperative that best practices be examined and applied.”
Supply chain partners from some of the nation’s leading organizations will share how they are rethinking their distribution networks by moving production closer to the consumer, reassigning freight between transportation modes and increasing the use of regional warehousing to regain supply chain efficiencies. Topics for discussion also include near-shoring strategies, distribution center expansion, reverse globalization trends, the future of energy and methods for preserving profits in adverse economic conditions.
Slated conference speakers include Mark Andrews, partner-in-charge for the Washington, D.C. office of Dallas-based law firm Strasburger & Price, LLP; Paul D. Cullen, Sr., attorney, Cullen Law; Hal Feuchtwanger, managing director, i2 Technologies; Chris Jones, executive vice president, solutions and services, Descartes Systems Group; Jon Langenfeld, CFA, director and senior research analyst for Robert W. Baird & Co.; and C. John Langley, Jr., Ph.D., professor of supply chain management at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
SMC³ is also pleased to welcome back its featured geopolitical update speakers, each an authority in their field: John Bagileo, principal, The Law Office of John R. Bagileo, who has been practicing transportation law for more than 40 years; Donald Ratajczak, Ph.D., emeritus professor of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University and consulting economist for leading businesses and governmental agencies; and Larry Sabato, Ph.D., Robert Kent Gooch professor of politics at the University of Virginia and a well-known, remarkably accurate political forecaster.
The SMC³ Winter Conference, which has occurred annually for more than 50 years, is recognized throughout the industry for its timely content as well as the many business networking opportunities it provides. Decision makers from shipper, carrier and logistics service organizations regularly attend to take advantage of peer interactions. Conference speakers commonly stay to attend lunch and dinner events, which allows them to network and make themselves available for one-on-one conversations.
New for 2009, SMC³ has aligned its popular “Fundamentals of LTL Transportation” seminar and site tour with the Winter Conference as an optional educational track. Anyone who is new to the transportation industry or managing motor carrier agreements and relationships will benefit from this learning opportunity, which covers the basics of operations, pricing and technology in the LTL motor carrier environment. A “modern terminal operations” tour will take seminar attendees to the Atlanta terminal of a leading national carrier. There they will see first-hand how a shipment moves through an LTL terminal network from pick-up to delivery, and how behind-the-scenes technology support systems seamlessly transport shipments and provide shipment visibility.
“When combined with the well-informed, forward-thinking perspectives presented at the SMC³ Winter Conference, this educational track creates an all-in-one package that is sure to benefit any industry novice,” said John Rader, SMC³ Director of Industry and Educational Services.
To register for the SMC³ 2009 Winter Conference or for more information on SMC³ products, services and educational offerings, visit www.smc3.com, phone 800-845-8090 or e-mail info@smc3.com.