The week of Feb. 5 in Las Vegas was ripe with lights, bells and tons of buzz, but it wasn't just because Super Bowl LVIII was to take place that weekend. It was because of Manifest 2024.
As someone who's attended this show since Year 1, I've gone from donning masks and partaking in random COVID tests to taking selfies with award winners and cultivating new relationships.
But what makes this show so impactful is its several opportunities to network.
The show, which took place Feb. 5-7 at Caesar's Forum in Las Vegas, was home to 250-plus speakers on 7 stages, including our very own Alexis Mizell-Pleasant, who moderated a session on the grocery supply chain. It took in 4,636 attendees from 44 countries, 125 conference sessions and 312 sponsors, including Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. It also hosted 600 startups and 300 investors, and provided an avenue for shippers, carriers, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, fleets, ports, railroads, brokers and freight forwarders to connect.
Live from the show floor, over 60 exhibitors unveiled new AI-powered technologies, supply chain optimization tools, seed funding rounds and strategic partnerships. Companies hosted Happy Hours, basketball tournaments and put-put, all at their booths. And, who can forget the spa treatment, complete with hair, makeup and massage.
And of course, the puppies and Ne-Yo concert didn't hurt.
This show continues to provide an avenue for the Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive team to congratulate award winners in person, everyone from our Pros to Know award (keep your eyes peeled mid-March to learn the winners), Top Software & Tech and Top Tech Startup, as well as make new connections with future speakers of our Women in Supply Chain Forum and hold insightful sessions that further detail all of the ins and outs of today's -- and tomorrow's -- end-to-end supply chain landscape.
Manifest 2025, I'm doubling down because I already foresee it being the best one yet!