Material Handling brings NEW SHOW to the ATL in 2012!

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When the Material Handling Industry of America decided to bring its new biennial trade show – MODEX – to Atlanta in 2012, it wasn’t just because of the city’s famed southern hospitality. It also was a strategic move the association had been considering for a while because of the Panama Canal expansion that is scheduled to be completed in 2014 and the expected major impact that will occur within the material handling sector as a result.

“We see the expansion of the Panama Canal to be a major supply chain game-changer and have positioned MODEX 2012 as the event that can help exhibitors and attendees capitalize on the new dynamics,” said John Nosfinger, CEO for MHIA. “Over 40 percent of North American manufacturing and distribution locations are now within a 500 mile radius of Atlanta.”

The Material Handling Industry of America’s ProMat trade show

He added, “Georgia and the Southeast are also home to extensive intermodal and logistics hubs that drive supply chains now and will continue to in the future. Currently, 90 percent of the global top 35 3PLs have operations in Georgia and more than 48 of the largest retailers have distribution centers.”

William Pate, president and CEO of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the new show is a perfect fit for the city’s strategy to target specific industry sectors. “What we’ve been doing is to really focus on industry sectors that have been growing,” he added. MODEX is signed on for 2012 and 2014 and holding dates for 2016 and 2018, Pate said.

MODEX is estimated to attract 20,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors and have a 150,000 square foot showfloor. Nosfinger said MHIA is in talks with several other entities for possible collocations and his organization hopes to have many of them on board when the show launches Feb. 6-9, 2012, at the Georgia World Congress Center.

MHIA had been mulling over launching a new show for a few years, he added, and considered not only Atlanta, but also other locales such as Orlando and Las Vegas. However, Nosfinger said, “At the end of the day, all markers pointed to Atlanta for us.”

Pate said that the show and Atlanta were a good fit, adding, “The announcement of MODEX is the delivery of Atlanta’s strategy to attract meetings from segments that are showing expansive growth. Atlanta is an important hub for logistics and supply chain industries and, therefore, a natural fit to be the hub for tradeshows in this segment.”

MODEX is just one of five major associations within the supply chain industry that will hold its meeting in Atlanta in 2011 and 2012, collectively bringing more than 33,000 industry professionals to the city for their business, according to ACVB officials.

In addition to MODEX, the Warehousing Education & Research Council; the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals; International Air Cargo Association; and the National Industrial Transportation League and Intermodal Association of North America will all convene in Atlanta.

‘We’ve been watching the economy and catching the areas that are growing or expanding,” Pate said. Other areas of focus for new business include alternative energy, medical and financial, he added.