On the showfloor: Modex 2022

Over 37,047 visitors connected with over 857 exhibitors across 405,000 square feet of exhibit space at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.

Show organiser, MHI (the US material handling, logistics and supply chain industry trade association) said the event was the largest Modex to date, with 20% more visitors than the last pre-pandemic show in 2018. The direct economic impact of this event to the Atlanta area is estimated to be $45m.  

“Modex 2022 was a huge success and a dramatic return to in-person events for the supply chain industry,” said John Paxton, CEO, MHI. “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.”  

Here, Steve Napieralski, president, OZ Lifting, David Fitzpatrick, senior VP, Industrial Sales, Irwin Car and Equipmentand Richard Howes, director, Bridger Howes, give their thoughts on the show.  

The dominant trends at Modex included digital supply chain solutions including automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics.  

“We’re seeing a revolutionary acceleration in the adoption of these technologies in manufacturing and supply chain operations,” said Paxton. “The solutions on display this year reflected this trend.”  

The tech trend was also evident in Modex Supply Chain Conference sessions which included 172 educational seminars and 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 as well as discussing the leadership needed to attract top talent. 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 in his March 29 keynote.  

During the March 30 keynote, MHI’s John Paxton and Deloitte’s Thomas Boykin 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.  

Industry Night with comedian Preacher Lawson was an exciting and entertaining evening. $5,000 in proceeds from the event were donated to Atlanta’s Habitat for Humanity and $40,000 was donated to the Material Handling Education Foundation to fund scholarships and programs for students and educators in our industry.  

During this event, MHI announced the winners of the 2022 MHI Innovation Awards. The awards had 121 submissions from exhibitors, and the winners were: 

• Best New Product: Phantom Auto 
• Best IT Innovation: Veryable, Inc. 
• Best Innovation of an Existing Product: Ancra Systems BV

The next MHI-sponsored trade event will be ProMat 2023, from March 20-23 in Chicago’s McCormick Place. The next MODEX will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in 2024.