Over 100 senior-level executives attended the first annual Supply Chain Outlook Summit, the first conference of its kind exclusively focused on answering the question “what’s next?” for supply chain professionals. The two-day event was hosted by Bob Trebilcock, editorial director of Supply Chain Management Review, and took place at the Rosemont Chicago Hilton on November 2-3.

“Based on the feedback we received from attendees and presenters, we couldn’t be happier with the launch of what we trust will be a must-attend event for supply chain executives in the future,” said Brian Ceraolo, president of Peerless Media.

Attendees heard from 14 speakers, including economists, analysts, academics, and practitioners. They learned about the freight rate outlook for 2016, technologies that are transforming the supply chain, the key initiatives that executives are taking to respond to changing dynamics, and more.

Brian Beaulieu, CEO of ITR Economics and co-author of Prosperity in the Age of Decline, kicked off the event with a bold forecast for the US economy. His message: The U.S. economy is better than you think and leading firms should prepare for continued growth over the next several years. The closing keynote from Michigan State’s Steven Melnkyk focused on how the culture of your company and your suppliers can make – or break – a supply chain organization.

In between, attendees heard from Larry Lapide, who presented results from MIT’s Supply Chain 2020 initiative; Chainalytics’ Kevin Zweir, who discussed the impact of e-commerce on shippers plus predictions on freight rates for 2016; and Loyola University Chicago’s John Caltagirone, who led a roundtable discussion with three Chicagoland supply chain executives. Other presentations touched on reshoring, technologies that will impact supply chain management in the future, and sustainability, to name a few.

Ryder Supply Chain Services was the Platinum Sponsor for the event. Other sponsors included MercuryGate, LeanLogistics, Browz, Digital Lumens, Saddle Creek and Hub Group.

Preliminary details for the 2016 Outlook Summit will be released next month. For information on the 2015 Summit, visit www.supplychainoutlook.com.