FWD: Momentum Supply Chain's Look Ahead

• Registration and Pricing
• Overview
• Agenda
• Speakers
• Session Details
• Networking and Social Events
• Hotel and Travel
• Companies Represented
• Testimonials

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Keynote Presentation

Developing a "Comic Vision": Creating Changes and Life Balance
Through Humor

It's no secret that laughter is good medicine—and in today's business environment we could all use a healthy dose! SMC³ Summer Conference Keynote Tim Gard will show you how to effectively use humor as a stress reduction tool for yourself and those around you. Presenting his Comic Vision, Tim will make you laugh while you learn easy-to-implement techniques for increasing productivity, morale, individual accountability and overall job satisfaction.

• Why laughter and good humor inoculate you against stress
• What differentiates good from bad humor
• How to identify and defeat situational stress at work
• Which physical and emotional benefits are achieved with smiles and/or laughter
• How you can harness laughter as a skill

Having a Comic Vision means to laugh when you can, be serious about the things you must, and actively use humor to balance stress. See reality and share the fun of it with laughter, good humor, and most importantly, through the lens of your Comic Vision!

Timely Industry, Economic and Geopolitical Updates

A hallmark of SMC³ conferences, the industry, economic and geopolitical update discussions bring current issues to the forefront. As a result, you leave with clear, actionable ideas for the coming business cycle(s).

Industry Financial Assessment

How much farther do we have in the tunnel and what does the road ahead look like? Transportation industry analyst David Ross will take an in-depth look at this question as he examines the operational challenges transportation professionals are facing today and how these challenges will impact shipping costs as well as carrier profit margins as we progress into 2010 and beyond.

• What happened to all that freight
• Where the transportation marketplace stands now in terms of supply and demand
• How LTL and TL pricing is likely to fair in 2010
• Why some companies and sectors are winners while others are losing big

Legislative and Regulatory Update

John Bagileo has been practicing transportation law for more than 40 years. A regular SMC³ conference speaker, his informative and timely updates on legislative and regulatory activities are indispensable to attendees' business planning cycles. Going case by case, Bagileo highlights the information you need to stay on top of new legal requirements and legislative initiatives at the state and federal level.

• Why the legalities of freight transport are everyone's concern
• How recent and upcoming legislative and regulatory actions could impact your supply chain and operational planning
• Which court cases are setting legal precedents for the transportation industry
• Where to turn when your organization has a stake in a bill's outcome

Global Economy Update

Consulting economist Donald Ratajczak, Ph.D., recently told SMC³ in a phone interview: "This is as bad as it's been in as long as anyone can remember." He was, of course, talking about the global financial crisis. In his upcoming economic update to SMC³ Summer Conference attendees, Ratajczak will discuss the economic trends and indices he is following closely and share his unique point-of-view as the global marketplace continues its correction.

• How the current economic recession differs from those of the past
• Why economic indicators may be signaling a "glimmer" of hope
• What business threats and opportunities continue to present themselves
• Who stands to lose—and win—the most in the months to come

The Politics of Global Energy

The global economy and the politics of energy availability are intertwined, posing long-term implications for transportation and logistics. Economic and energy research firm founder Roger Bezdek will provide his insight on long-term liquid fuels supply and demand imbalances, the impact of future declines in world oil production, the financial implications of U.S. and worldwide climate change initiatives as well as imminent federal fuel efficiency mandates.

• What to expect if world oil supplies continue their decline
• How global warming legislation and "cap-and-trade" programs could impact your operations
• Why fossil fuel prices are set to increase in response to greenhouse gas control measures
• Which "sweeping and wrenching" changes will be required of transportation and logistics in the coming decade

SMC³ Technology Update: CarrierConnect XL

In this breakout session, SMC³'s chief information officer will update attendees on the company's new XL product suite, which incorporates the SaaS delivery model and leading-edge SOA technology to revolutionize the way information is exchanged and shared. This session will focus on the extensive carrier service and transit time information accessible via SMC³ CarrierConnect XL. Get a first-hand look at how CarrierConnect XL's new service delivery calculations and control features will significantly improve your shipment planning and execution processes.

• How SaaS and SOA eliminates the need for internal systems integration, speeding the latest business information to your end users
• Where important data controls are placed to ensure your freight gets to its destination on time
• Why all of the nation's top carriers incorporate their service and transit time information into CarrierConnect—and what this means to you
• How you can tailor the information you receive to best fit your shipping scenarios

Content-Rich Educational Sessions

The SMC³ 2009 Summer Conference boasts five educational sessions that are specifically designed to bring you actionable learning outcomes from an array of subject matter experts.

Policy Scrabble: Making Decisions in a World of Alphabet Soup

The economy is undergoing a great deal of stress, and the President, Congress and regulators have been working overtime to help stabilize growth and the financial markets. These initiatives go under a variety of acronyms including TARP- Troubled Asset Recovery Program; ARRA - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; ASP - Affordability and Stability Plan; and the Federal Reserve's TALF - Term-Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility. All are intended to affect the economy in targeted ways. How will they work individually as well as collectively?

Senior investment strategist Alan Gayle will address this question and more as he: 1) Identifies and describes the major stimulus and regulatory programs, 2) Highlights potential intended and unintended consequences of these programs, and 3) Provides a practical action framework for executives to respond to these new initiatives.

• Which major stimulus and regulatory programs could impact the way you do business
• Where unexpected consequences could occur and what to look for
• How you can take action now to manage your risk
• Why doing nothing isn't an option

Tomorrow's Supply Chain Economics

One year ago the price of oil peaked at $147 per barrel, causing supply chain professionals to rethink their supply chains. Today the global economy has turned demand, trade lanes and landed costs upside down—once again resulting in the retooling of supply chains. This session will examine how logistics experts are dealing with global economic change to minimize tomorrow's economic risks to their supply chain.

• Where your supply chain may be vulnerable to economic risk
• How to build flexibility into your supply chain
• Why adjusting landed costs can be a good place to start
• Which supply chain trends are here to stay… and which could go away

Panel Discussion: The Recession as We See It

This lively discussion will feature panelists representing key industry sectors and modes of transportation. Each will outline the impact of the current economy on their business segment as well as share their view of how the economic climate in the last half of 2009 and first quarter of 2010 will likely affect their business plans. Ample time will be allotted at the end of this session for you to ask questions of the panel.

• How the economic crisis is impacting your supply chain partners
• Where competitive opportunities are revealing themselves
• How your peers are modifying their business plans to weather the storm
• Who will be the first to see business climate improvement

RFP Best Business Practices

Attention shippers and 3PLs! Are you looking for a better way to manage your transportation bid process? Tired of pouring over carrier responses and achieving mixed results? In this session, freight bid experts will walk through real-world case studies of shippers and 3PLs who optimized their transportation spend while improving carrier relationships and customer service across their supply chain.

• What information carriers look for in a Request for Proposal
• Where your company may be missing cost-saving opportunities
• How technology (vs. spreadsheets) can significantly improve your bid results
• Why a successful RFP isn't all about cost

Fundamentals of LTL Transportation Seminar

This optional seminar session is specially designed for individuals newly involved in preparing, executing and managing LTL transportation and supply chain relationships. Representatives of carriers, shippers and logistics service providers will benefit from attending. Will Taylor of LTL carrier Averitt Express will join two SMC³ experts to provide a focused examination of how less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carriers and their supply chain partners have adapted to the demands of a competitive marketplace and international trade.

• Why LTL carrier networks operate the way they do today and which LTL shipping strategies make sense for your organization
• Who the players are in the supply chain and what their roles mean to you
• How LTL pricing is influenced by classification, density, rate scales and various shipment characteristics
• Which technology tools enable both carriers and shippers to move freight more efficiently