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trade show organizers
see (economic) strength in numbers
IF CAPITAL
SPENDING PLANS ARE AN EARLY indicator of an economic recovery,
then high attendance at one recent trade show and strong registration
figures for another one slated for next month suggest that better
times may lie ahead.
Pack Expo International,
held in November, drew 46,789 visitors (in addition to more than
25,000 exhibitor personnel), according to the organizers. Pack Expo
International, produced by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers
Institute, features packaging equipment and materials, materials
handling equipment and components, containers, and other capital
equipment, services and software for manufacturing and distribution.
Better yet,
early registrants for ProMat 2003, which takes place in Chicago
Feb. 10-13, have indicated that they are coming to the show with
the authority to buy. The Materials Handling Industry of America,
which sponsors ProMat, reports that 61 percent o f its early registrants
say they will be spending upwards of $100,000 on material handling
and logistics solutions over the next 18 months, and that 26 percent
say they will spend over $1 million. At press time, organizers said
that early registration was tracking ahead of 2001’s, which drew
record attendance. (The show is held in odd-numbered years.)
In addition,
show managers expect more than 600 exhibitors on two floors of Chicago’s
McCormick Place North. That makes ProMat the largest material handling
and logistics event on the trade show calendar.
This year’s
forum wi ll include presentations by Tom Lyden, vice president of
manufacturing, The Gillette Co.; Hal Wilson Sr., vice president,
distribution & transportation, Big Lots Inc.; Lyman Tschanz, general
manager, Automotive Division, Modine Manufacturing Co.; and Sandy
Towle and Adrian Gonzalez, analysts from the ARC Advisory Group.
In another special
event, the Chicago Roundtable of the Council of Logistics Management
will offer a luncheon and roundtable program on Monday, Feb. 10,
on the topic “How Leading-Edge Companies Utilize Material Handling
Equipment and Technology in Their Operations.”
Later next month,
former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will deliver the closing
keynote address at the Logistics Conference of the International
Mass Retail Association in Orlando, Fla. Another featured speaker
at that meeting is Tom Coughlin, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores
and Supercenters U.S.A. Sessions include a point/counterpoint discussion
of supply chain management and a presentation on security, plus
breakout sessions on such issues as vendor partnerships and third-party
logistics.
conference notes:
- A number
of attendees at the National Industrial Transportation League’s
annual conference in November expressed surprise and more than
a little irritation when the Pacific Maritime Association failed
to send a speaker to the meeting. At the time, the PMA, which
represents employers at West Coast ports,was embroiled in a bitter
dispute with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union over
their new labor contract. The ILWU did send a representative,
Legislative Director Lindsay McLaughlin, to explain its position
in the talks. The contract was settled a few days after the NITL
conference ended.
Several
shippers at the meeting also expressed some anger at surcharges
levied against shipments moving throughWest Coast ports. Those
fees were imposed as a result of congestion at the ports caused
when the PMA briefly locked out dock workers during the contract
talks.
The NITL
meeting was the first to be held since the group adopted its
Vision 2020 initiative. After a long history as a shipper organization,
the group decided last year to reshape itself as a freight transportation
organization and invited carriers to join as full members for
the first time.
- No matter
how much coverage a topic receives, there will always be some
people who just don’t get it. Speaking at the annual meeting of
NASSTRAC, an association of logistics services buyers, John Langley,
professor at GeorgiaTech, offered two examples of business principles
that continue to evade some apparently clueless organizations.“
First, functional silos are very much alive and well in today’s
business management,” he said. “We’ve been talking about it for
what seems like forever, but some companies still don’t see the
value and importance of managing horizontal processes rather than
vertical silos.”
Furthermore,
Langley said, there are still a goodly number of corporate executives
out there who have yet to wake up to the importance of logistics
to a company’s success.“ Unfortunately, logistics simply doesn’t
sell itself, ”he told the audience. “You still have to work
very hard to convince C-level executives how logistics fits
with their corporate value and profitability goals.”
- Once in
a while, amidst the bustle and noise of a trade show floor, you
come upon something that stands out and makes a lasting impression.
Such is the case with the new CubiScan50-PS from Quantronix. A
small static dimensioning and weighing system designed to measure
irregularly shaped parts and non-packaged items with precision
and accuracy, the system is beautiful in its simplicity.
Rolled out
at the Frontline show in Chicago last fall, the system uses
sophisticated photo-optic sensing technology and a highly sensitive
scale to measure a wide variety of non-cuboidal (irregularly
shaped, non-cube-like) objects with an accuracy of 0.05 inches
and 0.005 pounds.
The advance
offers a wide variety of industries their first chance to use
sophisticated dimensioning technology. “In the past, due to
the irregular characteristics of products they distribute, health
and beauty aid, medical supply, pharmaceutical, apparel and
hardware distribution companies found it extremely challenging
to collect accurate and reliable cube and weight data on the
items they warehouse,” explains Clark Skeen, president of Quantronix
Inc. “With this new tool not only can they measure these irregularly
shaped items with extreme accuracy, but the data can be transferred
in real time, directly to the WMS (warehouse managem ent system)
or host processing system, where correct decisions can be made
in a timely manner.”
Feb.
10-13
ProMat 2003. More than 650 exhibitors are expected to showcase their
equipment at McCormick Place North for the largest material handling
and logistics show of the year. ProMat is sponsored by the Material
Handling Industry of America, whose members are manufacturers of
material handling and logistics equipment, systems and software.
In addition to the trade show, ProMat includes a large educational
conference focusing on improving productivity in distribution, warehousing
and manufacturing. For more information, visit www.promat2003.com
Feb.
16-19
The Logistics 2003 conference of the International Mass Retail Association
will bring retailers and vendors together at the Gaylord Palms Resort
and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Information on the conference
is available at www. imra.org Sessions cover a wide array of logistics,
supply chain and transportation issues. IMRA describes itself as
the world’s leading alliance of retailers and their produce and
service suppliers. Its members, which include 100,000 distribution
centers, stores and manufacturing facilities, collectively report
over $1 trillion in sales.
Feb.
23-25
Food Shippers of America holds its annual meeting at the Radison
Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz. The meeting, which includes
several presentations by industry leaders, offers opportunities
for shippers, carriers and others to interact. FSA focuses on improving
supply chain efficiency for the grocery industry, with a particular
emphasis on transportation. Members are shippers and consumer-oriented
distributors of food and related products. Look for additional information
at www.foodshippersofamerica.org
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