Modex 2014: So long Atlanta. Hello Chicago—in March!

In its second installment, Modex 2014 exceeded all expectations, said George Prest, CEO of MHI, the sponsor of the show. Attendance numbers won’t be available until after the show, but from all appearances the anticipated 25,000 visitors showed up.

More than 800 industry exhibits bumped the required floor space at the Georgia World Congress Center from 180,000 square feet at the inaugural Modex 2012 to 230,000 square feet this week, continued Prest.

“We moved the show from Hall C to Hall B to accommodate the demand for exhibit space, as well as to add 11,000 additional square feet to co-locate with the first ever Supply Chain & Transportation USA expo and conference,” he said. The co-located event will repeat at Modex 2016, with many of the exhibitors expressing a desire to book larger booths next time out, Prest said.

The previous Modex clearly drew more regional attendees, with 6,400 hotel rooms booked in 2012. “This year, we more than doubled that, with 13,000-plus hotel rooms sold in 2014; Modex is definitely attracting visitors from further away,” he said.

Modex 2014 also reflected the industry’s commitment to the next generation of the supply chain, warehousing, logistics and distribution workforce. MHI’s Young Professionals Network hosted a well-attended networking event, while 300-plus technical high school and college students interest in joining the industry toured the show floor on Wednesday.

Additionally, MHI debuted its first annual Industry Report, conducted in partnership with Deloitte Consulting LLP. The extensive review of supply chain and material handling trends and technologies draws upon a series of surveys conducted in January. Both MHI members and supply chain end users were asked to verify and rank what each group expects to focus on in the next 2-3 years. The report is available for download at http://www.mhi.org.

The growth in Modex attendance and exhibit space mirrors the growth at MHI’s other major show, ProMat. MHI held its space draw for ProMat 2015 in December 2013, setting a new record of 240,000 square feet sold with 479 leases signed—representing 79% of the planned exhibit area of 300,000 square feet, said Prest.

Prest encouraged attendees to make plans to attend ProMat 2015 (http://www.promatshow.com), nothing that the event is scheduled for March 23-26, 2015 (“It’s not in January anymore,” he emphasized) in Chicago’s McCormick Place South. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry. Registration for ProMat gives attendees free entrance to Automate 2015 (http://www.automateshow.com), highlighting automation and motion control technologies, as the two shows will once again be co-located.

Modex 2014 is scheduled to be held March 17-20, 2014 in Atlanta’s Georgia World Conference Center. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry. Modern’s complete Modex 2014 coverage.