01/28/2015
Jump Start 2015 Highlights Industry Trends, Challenges
Atlanta, Ga. (PRWEB) January 28, 2015
SMC³ successfully hosted its 60th annual Jump Start conference January 20-22 at the Loews Atlanta Hotel. This year’s focus was “igniting supply chain strategy,” and the conference was attended by a broad range of carriers, shippers, logistics service providers and technology solution providers from throughout North America. Offering more than 23 hours of targeted content and more than 15 hours of dedicated networking opportunities, Jump Start is recognized as a premier U.S. supply chain event.
Jump Start 2015 included more strategic sessions and trend-based topics than ever before. More than 430 supply chain professionals in attendance heard from industry thought leaders on diverse topics such as navigating new industry technology, the implications and challenges of U.S. regulatory changes, big data and its role in an evolving market, the U.S. financial outlook, and global economic changes that affect business. Trend-based topics such as the future of density-based pricing, the “asset light” carrier model and the 2015 trucking outlook were also explored. For the first time, the conference also offered three Academy educational workshops: Transportation Contract Law, LTL Freight Transportation and An Introduction to the SMC³ National Traffic Database.
Another highlight was the collaborative networking opportunities. The conference once again featured the Ignite speed-meeting event, which brought together 31 contributing organizations for more than 180 collaborative, seven-minute speed meetings between carriers, shippers, technology/service providers and 3PLs.
“As we enter SMC³’s 60th year of delivering premier educational events to the transportation community, I am thrilled to report Jump Start 2015 was a tremendous success,” stated SMC³ CEO Jack Middleton. “Combining dynamic speakers, high-powered content and unique networking opportunities position our conference participants at the forefront of the industry, and differentiate our conferences – Jump Start and Connections – from other U.S. supply chain events.”
During the conference, SMC³ presented the third annual Alliance Awards. The awards recognize superior supply chain alliances among carriers, shippers and 3PLs. Winners included the collaborators GNC, DHL Global Mail and Spend Management Experts; Dick’s Sporting Goods and Estes Express Lines; and Land Air Express of New England, Averitt Express, Pitt Ohio and Virco Manufacturing Corp. “The Alliance Awards recognize and celebrate supply-chain partnerships that optimize results,” stated SMC³ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Danny Slaton. “Award recipients are industry leaders in taking a complete, holistic approach to their supply chains.”
Honorary Conference Chairman Tommy Barnes, president of LTL and senior vice president of operations at Coyote Logistics, called Jump Start one of the “most important go-to educational events for transportation professionals across North America – particularly those engaged in trucking, supply chain technology and 3PL services.”
The conference concluded with the announcement of the 2016 event dates and location. Jump Start 2016 will be held January 25-27, 2016, at the Atlanta Loews Hotel.
About SMC³
SMC³ is the leading provider of data, technology and education as an integrated solution to the freight transportation community. SMC³ delivers its core competency – LTL pricing expertise – through collaborative pricing technology that supports end-to-end, ongoing predictability in shipper/3PL-carrier relationships. Best known for its CzarLite®, Bid$ense® and RateWare® solutions, the company serves more than 5,000 customers throughout North America, including shippers, carriers, logistics service providers and freight-payment companies. The company also partners with leading transportation software developers for complete interoperability. For more information about SMC³, visit www.smc3.com.
Media Contact
Beth Malik
Director of Marketing
SMC³
Office: (770) 486-5823
bmalik@smc3.com