The DLN Team was among the 45,000 visitors to ProMat 2019, held at Chicago’s McCormick Place April 8 – 11, and we certainly made the most of our time there. Garrett Smith describes the experience as “very action packed,” and mentioned how the team had secured several meetings in advance. “ProMat is a great time to connect with clients because everyone is in the same place at the same time. It is extremely busy, but also very productive,” says Garrett.
There is over 400,000 square feet of exhibition space, and 1,000+ exhibitors. ProMat organizes exhibitors into sections:
- Fulfillment & Delivery – order fulfillment, picking, packaging, 3PL, warehousing, distribution and warehousing solutions
- IT (Info Technology) – supply chain software, RFID, enterprise resource planning, order management systems, etc.
- Manufacturing & Assembly – automated assembly, intelligent devices, safety, work stations, systems for manufacturing
- Emerging Technology – robotics, sensors, AR wearables, ASRS, self-guided vehicles, drones, block chain, AI tech
- Sustainable Supply Chain – energy efficiency, sustainable solutions, alternative energy, recyclables
- Knowledge Center – theaters for education on the industry
Amidst the meetings and connections made at the show, Garret reported that a definite theme of this year’s show was automation wherever possible. Automating the catch picks process, for example, was a common denominator amongst exhibitors. Artificial Intelligence / Robotics seemed to also be a much bigger trend in 2019.
Did you attend ProMat 2019? What was your favorite part of the show? We’d love to hear from you!