ProMat, Day 1
We’re here in Chicago for ProMat and the first day was a whirlwind. We flew in yesterday and had a little time to rest up and prepare our agenda for touring the show today. We’re staying at the Hilton Chicago, which is about a ten-minute shuttle bus ride from McCormick Place.
So once we got to the exhibit hall, we watched the ribbon-cutting ceremony and started walking around the hall. There are so many displays of racking and conveyor systems set up and it is really neat to see some of the products we write about in action. MHEDA has booth #3677, so if you’re in town, stop by and get to know the association a little more. (There’s also a masseuse at the MHEDA booth….).
Much of today I spent attending six of the over 100 educational seminars that will be going on this week. I learned a lot, particularly about fleet management and all the different options of narrow aisle and very narrow aisle trucks. I listened to a seminar on fuel cell power development by The Raymond Corporation, how to choose the right warehouse truck by Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corporation, R-mark certification by the Rack Manufacturers Institute, fleet management strategies by Yale Materials Handling Corporation, selecting the right lift truck by Hyster Company and how to configure a distibution network by MHEDA distributor Peach State Integrated Technologies.
At the end of the day, I attended the MHEDA-sponsored reception. It was a great turnout; I’m guessing there were 100 people there, most of whom stayed for the entire 90 minutes. It was a great opportunity to network with MHEDA President Duncan Murphy and see MHEDA Past Presidents like John Cosgrove, John Maybury, Loren Swakow and other MHEDA Member distributor and suppliers.
Tomorrow won’t be as seminar-heavy so I’ll have more time to see a lot of the exhibitors and their booths. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the new technologies and meeting more MHEDA Members!
Tags: conveyor, lift trucks, material handling, ProMat, rack
