By the numbers: Behind the scenes at CSCMP's Annual Global Conference
By Teri Elloitt Jarvie, CSCMP Director of Meeting Services
For three and a half days each year, CSCMP's Annual Global Conference provides attendees from all over the world with opportunities to hear about current and emerging supply chain and logistics trends and issues, as well as new techniques, strategies, and best practices they can put to use right away. The conference also lets them share their experiences and perspectives with peers, meet up with former colleagues, and make new acquaintances.
Many of those attendees may not be aware that the Annual Global Conference is itself an incredible logistical project. The planning for this largescale educational event begins years in advance when CSCMP's Meeting Services Department reserves convention center space and hotels in the designated host city. But that's just the first step in the year-round preparations required to stage this premier global event. Here are some interesting facts to keep in mind while you attend this year's conference in Denver, Colorado, USA:
Over the course of the conference, attendees will quench their thirst with 1,400 gallons of coffee (equivalent to 28,000 cups) and 21,000 soft drinks, including sodas, bottled waters, and juices— about 875 cases, or six palletloads.
Meals and snacks will be served on 47,000 china plates and glasses. That's more than the number used to serve all the people on the Titanic. (Fortunately, our annual global conferences are held on land, far from drifting icebergs.)
Speaking of icebergs, four tons (8,000 pounds) of ice, or about 10 pallets' worth, will be needed to keep things cool.
Some 1,100 tablecloths will grace the tables at the conference. If they were laid end-to-end, they would stretch 8,250 feet, or nearly two miles.
Making sure all attendees can see and hear speakers in the general session hall will require 12,018 feet of video cable, 9,393 feet of lighting and electrical cable, and 9,136 feet of audio cable. That's a grand total of 30,546 feet of cable, equivalent to 75 home runs to center field at Wrigley Field, home of the world-famous Chicago Cubs baseball team!
The lighting and sound systems for the general session hall will also require 8,000 feet of gaffer, carpet, and electrical tape; 390 feet of aluminum lighting and video truss (steel bars used to suspend equipment); and 40 amplifiers that can generate up to 100,000 watts of audio power for the public address system.
All of the equipment required for the general sessions will arrive at the convention center in three 40-foot trailers. The hall is so big that the trailers will be driven right inside for unloading.
Nearly 50,000 square feet of carpet will help keep attendees comfortable as they walk the corridors and meeting spaces of the convention center. This amount of carpeting would cover an entire football field, or about half of an average distribution center.
More than 400 volunteers, students, and CSCMP staff members are needed to make the entire conference run smoothly ... and that doesn't include the staff at the conference hotels.
These are impressive numbers, yet it's not the quantity of goods and equipment necessary to make CSCMP's Annual Global Conference operate seamlessly that's most important—it's the quality of the event itself. Together, CSCMP staff members and the professionals they work with focus on every aspect of the conference experience to ensure that the environment for education and networking is the best that it can be, costs are controlled, and service is friendly and efficient.
We hope you agree, and we look forward to seeing you there!
New job-specific courses will sharpen your skills
Rising oil prices, transportation bottlenecks, new import and export regulations ... the list goes on. In today's challenging economic environment, you can't afford to be complacent. Now more than ever, it's imperative that you stay abreast of current trends and continually hone your professional skills.
One way CSCMP is responding to this need is by adding more than 200 new offerings to its cache of online courses. The courses are broken down into six major supply chain functions: inventory management, manufacturing, purchasing/procurement, supply chain planning, transportation, and warehousing. Within each of these areas, we have created 22 bundles of courses that apply to a specific job role or title. Each bundle contains between 9 and 18 courses that cover the core competencies and requirements needed to succeed in the job.
The following is a breakdown of the course bundles being offered under each function:
Inventory management: inventory manager, inventory planner, and inventory analyst
Manufacturing: operations manager, production supervisor, master scheduler, materials manager, and production scheduler and transportation planner
Purchasing and procurement: senior buyer, buyer, and business analyst
Transportation: transportation/traffic manager, transportation supervisor, transportation scheduler, and transportation planner
Warehousing: warehouse manager, warehouse supervisor, and warehouse clerk
"The new course bundles are a convenient, fast, and costeffective way for practitioners to receive supply chain training," says Burt Blanchard, CSCMP's manager of education and research. "Users never have to leave the office for professional education."
The courses are available any time of day, every day of the week, and cost $950 for CSCMP members and $1,095 for nonmembers. Participants have six months to complete all courses in a bundle and will receive a certificate upon completion.
More information and descriptions of the course objectives can be found at cscmp.org, under "CSCMP University" in the "Online Courses" tab on the homepage.
Tune in to CSCMP!
The next time you are traveling or taking a break from your daily tasks, consider downloading and listening to one of CSCMP's unique, members-only podcasts. These brief (3 to 10 minutes) audio messages from members of CSCMP's Board of Directors contain valuable industry insights on such topics as metrics, finance, and operational excellence.
Currently available are:
Seven Perfect-Order Supply Chain Metrics: Donald (Dee) Biggs, director of customer logistics for Welch Foods Inc., discusses the seven perfect-order metrics recommended by the grocery industry to analyze and create a successful supply chain. This podcast is great for supply chain professionals in retail, wholesale, and manufacturing. (2 MB, 5:45 minutes)
Professional Business Talk: Ed Huller, President of Alden Consulting Group, describes the pitfalls that logisticians typically face when talking with upper management. The podcast outlines how to use the language of finance to sell yourself and your ideas at your next big meeting. (2 MB, 3:58 minutes)
Keeping Your Employees Focused: Greg Chalkley, Director of Global Trade Compliance for Texas Instruments, talks about the importance of communicating openly and positively with your employees. Hear how such factors as changes in organizational structure can affect the focus of your employees. (1 MB, 3:35 minutes)
A Successful Supply Chain Begins with Clear SCM Process Guidelines: Abré Pienaar, CEO of iPlan Industrial Engineers, says that supply chain management (SCM) professionals must adopt a clear strategy for implementing process guidelines. To accomplish this, they need to create a balance between collaborative processes, focus on the people who manage the supply chain, and implement the right systems. (2 MB, 5:00 minutes)
Top 10 Tips of Supply Chain Operational Excellence: Susan Rider, President of Rider & Associates, advises listeners on how they can create a successful supply chain operation. In particular, she stresses the need for clear communication as well as a "barrier free" internal customer service department. (4 MB, 10:57 minutes)
Visit cscmp.org to hear these exclusive member podcasts.
Think globally at CSCMP's Annual Conference
CSCMP is striving to make its annual conference as global as your supply chain. This year's conference in Denver, Colorado, USA, highlights how increasingly important it is for today's supply chain professionals to take a global view of their operations. From the keynote address, to networking events, to educational sessions, the conference urges participants to step beyond their national boundaries and gain a better grasp of the challenges of competing in a global economy.
In the opening keynote address, Frances Fragos Townsend will speak about the role of global risk, crisis preparation, and leadership in today's business environment. Townsend, currently a commentator for CNN, was Assistant to President George W. Bush for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and chair of the Homeland Security Council from May 2004 until January 2008.
Subsequent general sessions will pick up this theme of uncertainty and the global economy. Mahender Singh from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Supply Chain 2020 project will speak on "Curved Thinking in a Flat World: How to Capitalize on Future Uncertainty." His address will touch on rising global agriculture prices; the emergence of countries such as Vietnam and Thailand as sources of low-cost manufacturing; and the possibility of high energy costs, environmental concerns, and currency exchange rates breathing new life into U.S. manufacturing. Next, a roundtable of executives from DHL/Exel, ProLogis, Limited Logistics Services, and YRC Worldwide will share strategies for succeeding in a challenging global economy and for managing trade barriers and risks.
Attendees will have the chance to delve further into specific global issues in such session tracks as Critical Business Issues, Emerging Markets, Future Trends, Global Strategic Sourcing, International Trade Compliance, and Matching Supply and Need in Resource-Constrained Settings.
Finally, in the conference's Global Showcase, CSCMP members from around the world will staff booths with information about 26 countries. Attendees can learn more about the economic developments, infrastructures, supply chain and logistics operations, business opportunities, and other significant issues facing their colleagues and potential supply chain partners in many nations.
Supply chains today are facing an onslaught of disruption and change from geopolitical events to technological advances to economic shifts. Supply chain partners that successfully navigate those changes together will seize a competitive advantage that will win them market share and increase profits.
The “2025 Third-Party Logistics Study,” spearheaded by Dr. C. John Langley of Penn State University and developed in collaboration withNTT DATAand Penske Logistics highlights the crucial role that change management plays in the relationship between third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and their customers. Unveiled today at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) EDGE conference, the study delves into the dynamic nature of relationships between shippers (companies that manufacture goods or provide services) and third-party logistics providers.
“While users and providers of 3PL services continue to report successful relationships, they find themselves having to deal with an increasingly wide range of challenges,” said Dr. C. John Langley, Professor, Supply Chain & Information Systems, Penn State University. “While examples include economic concerns, geopolitical unrest, and changing markets for supply chain services, they also are taking advantage of change management processes to benefit from new and improved capabilities such as artificial intelligence (AI) and direct-to-customer proficiencies.”
The survey found that both shippers (61%) and 3PLs (73%) agree that supply chain change management is vital. Respondents from both groups indicated that the top factors that are driving the need to change their operations were shifting customer demands, economic factors, and technological advancements. In particular, both shippers and 3PLs believe that improvement and change is needed in supply chain visibility, with 69% of shippers and 68% of 3PLs citing it as an area of concern.
AI as change agent
One technological advance that is enabling change in supply chain operations, according to survey respondents, is AI. Both shippers and 3PLs agree that AI can be pivotal in automating data analysis, identifying patterns, solving problems, and automating repetitive tasks. Top implementation areas for AI cited by respondents include supply planning and demand forecasting (33% of shippers and 19% of 3PLs) and transportation and route optimization (27% of shippers and 22% of 3PLs).
The e-commerce effect continues
Omnichannel retailing and e-commerce continue to exert pressure on supply chain operations for shippers and their third-party logistics partners. Both shippers and 3PLs view delivery speed and visibility as strong areas of differentiation. According to the study, 48% of shippers and 53% of 3PLs reported that customers routinely expect deliveries in less than two days, and 27% of shippers and 26% of 3PLs noted that there are three-day or less delivery expectations. Shippers (44%) and 3PLs (38%) are willing to absorb a small percentage of the costs related to shipping speeds.
The Annual 3PL Study surveys 3PL providers and users of 3PL services to understand the current state of 3PLs and how 3PL relationships are evolving with their customers. The 2025 study and past versions are available for download at www.3PLStudy.com.
Container flows at dozens of U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports shuddered to a simultaneous stop this morning when dockworkers launched a promised strike over pay levels and job automation.
The action is affecting work at major locations such as New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Houston, Charleston, Norfolk, Miami, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Boston, Mobile, Tampa, and Wilmington. That broad span of geographic locations will affect imports and exports for industries spanning retail, automotive, agriculture, food and beverage, and manufacturing, according to an analysis by Overhaul.
Those impacts are forecast to grow rapidly with each additional day the strike continues, since more than 100 vessels are estimated to arrive at the 36 affected ports this week alone, according to analysis by supply chain visibility provider Project44. The recovery from that backup could take some time, as some shippers estimate that for every one week of strike, it will take 4-6 weeks to fully recover, the firm said.
Because of the sudden stop, logistics providers today are quickly reaching out to shippers and other clients to plan for future cargo movements. Specifically, the strike immediately froze a range of work such as the movement of import and export containers and the loading and unloading of containers, according to German maritime transportation provider Hapag-Lloyd AG. “As a result of this situation, which is beyond our control, we will need to adjust our services or temporarily suspend operations as conditions evolve. Our priority remains the protection of your cargo during this period,” Hapag-Lloyd AG said in a note to shippers.
Despite those large impacts, the timeline is unclear for finding a resolution of negotiations between the union—the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)—and the port management group, United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).
Under those conditions, retail and manufacturing groups have renewed their calls for their White House to step in and force workers back on the job while negotiations resume.
One of those voices came the National Retail Federation (NRF). “NRF urges President Biden to use any and all available authority and tools — including use of the Taft-Hartley Act — to immediately restore operations at all impacted container ports, get the parties back to the negotiating table and ensure there are no further disruptions,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a release. “A disruption of this scale during this pivotal moment in our nation’s economic recovery will have devastating consequences for American workers, their families and local communities. After more than two years of runaway inflationary pressures and in the midst of recovery from Hurricane Helene, this strike will result in further hardship for American families.”
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Flying Ship CEO Bill Peterson poses with a model of his unmanned ground-effect maritime cargo craft.
Perfect Planner, a cloud-based platform designed to streamline the material planning and replenishment process, and Flying Ship, an unmanned ground-effect maritime cargo craft, took home the second annual “3 V’s of Supply Chain Innovation Awards” tonight at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) annual EDGE Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
This awards contest is hosted by Supply Chain Xchange and 3 V’s framework creator and supply chain visionary Art Mesher. It serves to recognize those companies that have created technology or automation solutions that exemplify Mesher’s 3 V’s framework of “embracing variability, harnessing visibility, and competing with velocity.”
Business Innovation Award
Art Mesher, creator of the 3 V's Framework (left) and Rick Blasgen (right), former CSCMP President and CEO, present Tom Biel (center), CEO of Perfect Planner, with the 3 V's Business Innovation Award.
Susan Lacefield
Perfect Planner won the 3 V’s Business Innovation Award for its software solution that uses artificial intelligence to automatically generates daily "to-do lists" for material planners/buyers. All the “to-do’s” are ranked in order of criticality. The solution also uses advanced analytics to understand and address inventory shortages and surpluses.
The two other finalists for the Business Innovation Award were AutoScheduler AI, a predictive warehouse optimization platform, and Davinci Micro Fulfillment, which provides a micro fulfillment service out of a network for small distribution centers across the United States.
Best Overall Startup Award
Flying Ship was awarded the Best Overall Startup Award. The company has designed an unmanned flying ground-effect maritime vessel. Although the Flying Ship looks like a small aircraft or large drone, it is classified as a maritime vessel because it does not leave the air cushion over the waves, similar to a hovercraft.
According to Flying Ship CEO Bill Peterson, the craft is 75% less expensive than a traditional aircraft and “faster than anything on water.” The prototype has a wingspan of 6.5 feet and can be scaled up to deliver 10,000 pounds of freight to “anywhere with a coastline” using autonomous systems.
The other startup finalist included Arkestro, a predictive procurement orchestration solution, and Provision AI, an optimized replenishment and transportation scheduling solution.
On Monday morning at CSCMP’s 2024 EDGE Conference, Darcy MacClaren, chief revenue office, digital supply chain, at technology company SAP, lead a lively discussion with a panel of women supply chain leaders on how to recruit, retain, and empower future supply chain leaders.
Panelists included Cindy Cochovity, executive vice president of strategic development at software company FreightPath; Heather Dohrn, chief commercial officer at trucking company Dohrn Transfer Company; Jennifer Kobus, senior vice president of supply chain planning and operations at retailer Ulta Beauty; Ammie McAsey, senior vice president of customer distribution experience at pharmaceutical company McKesson; and Michelle Williams, a supply chain teacher at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, a high school in St. Louis, Missouri.
Touching on more than just the challenges they faced in supply chain as women, the panelists spoke about creating “destination" companies—places where top talent can work, grow, and thrive. According to MacClaren, younger workers “want more than just competitive compensation—they want to feel appreciated, involved, and inspired. They seek a workplace with a strong, inclusive culture that aligns with their values, offers meaningful work, and provides an opportunity for growth and development.”
The panel covered an array of topics including how to inspire the next generation of talent, strategies for engaging and coaching young professionals, how to attract diversity, and how to address change management. In addition, they shared personal experiences that helped them achieve their leadership roles and ended with some key takeaways for the audience members.
Here’s a snapshot of action items from the discussion:
1. Ensure a diverse slate of candidates for open positions.
2. Leverage internal and external networks to find diverse candidates.
3. Nurture and mentor new hires to help them thrive.
4. Remain authentic, vulnerable, and transparent as a leader.
5. Advocate for yourself and your career progression, not just for your team.
6. Seek out mentors and advocates, especially other women in leadership positions.
7. Open doors and bring others in, regardless of your own position.
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Supply Chain Xchange Executive Editor Susan Lacefield moderates a panel discussion with Supply Chain Xchange's Outstanding Women in Supply Chain Award Winners (from left to right) Annette Danek-Akey, Sherry Harriman, Leslie O'Regan, and Ammie McAsey.
Supply Chain Xchange recognized four women who have made significant contributions to the supply chain management profession today with its second annual Outstanding Women in Supply Chain Award. The award winners include Annette Danek-Akey, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Barnes & Noble; Sherry Harriman, Senior Vice President of Logistics and Supply Chain for Academy Sports + Outdoors; Leslie O’Regan, Director of Product Management for DC Systems & 3PLs at American Eagle Outfitters; and Ammie McAsey, Senior Vice President of Customer Distribution Experience for McKesson’s U.S. Pharmaceutical division.
Throughout their careers, these four supply chain executive have demonstrated strategic thinking, innovative problem solving, and effective leadership as well as a commitment to giving back to the profession.
The awards were presented at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) annual EDGE Conference in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to the awards presentation, the leaders discussed their leadership philosophies and career path during a panel discussion at the EDGE conference.