MHEDA Convention Events Industry Insiders Shouldn't Miss


The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) Convention will run from May 5-9 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. The 63rd annual convention will focus on coping with disruptive changes in the industry and embracing the future. Speakers, panel discussions, and workshops will address various ideas around these themes. Additionally, more than 80 exhibitors will showcase products and solutions for material handling at the event. Here are a few of the convention's features that industry analysts will pay close attention to:

    1.  Panel discussions with prominent MHEDA members that will feature timely topics.

    There are two panel discussions planned — 2018 Material Handling Business Trends and the Digital Evolution. Members of the MHEDA's board of directors will present the business trends discussion. Attendees of this panel will have the opportunity to share ideas and learn new perspectives on the latest industry trends.

    A group of MHEDA members is presenting the second discussion, which will address all things digital, including marketing and e-commerce. The panel will approach the topics from a variety of perspectives, giving attendees a good look at cutting edge practices.

    2.  Keynote speaker Mike Walsh, a futurist, global nomad, and consummate storyteller.

    Walsh, who is the CEO of innovation consultants Tomorrow, travels about 300 days per year and sees firsthand what makes some companies thrive and some companies lag behind. His speaking engagements share the many stories he encounters and are overwhelmingly positive and thought-provoking. They also leave listeners excited to meet the challenges that once intimidated them.

    The subtitle to Walsh's best-selling book, Futuretainment, is "Yesterday the World Changed, Now It's Your Turn." That sentiment remains at the forefront of his mission. He wants to help leaders to see opportunity in the disruptive changes that occur on a daily basis. Attendees will find themselves ruminating on Walsh's patented "mind grenades" long after the speech has ended.

    3.  A variety of sessions and workshops that will offer advice on confronting imminent changes in the material handling industry.

    Economist Brian Beaulieu will head a general session called Economic Forecast: Winds of Change. He'll talk about the opportunities and challenges confronting the industry in the near future — including how labor shortages could work to the benefit of material handling companies. Kenneth Gronbach, an expert in demographics, will also head a general session about workforce changes and big data marketing.

A number of workshops will give attendees a chance to exchange ideas with colleagues. Sessions on leadership, helping new employees thrive, and data-driven techniques for digital marketing are just a handful of the highly relevant workshops being offered.

The MHEDA Convention is a great opportunity to find solutions for current and future difficulties in the material handling industry.

The convention provides a great balance of informative talks and interactive discussions...and with an average high of 81 and low of 76, it's hard to beat Miami in May.