Our annual fall summit, “the Super Bowl of Sourcing,” is a day I always look forward to. In a tangible way, it’s when the pages of Sourcing Journal come to life. All the oft-quoted leaders and news-making companies we cover on a daily basis are in the room and on the stage, sharing their honest opinions, knowledge and experiences.
The holistic nature of the event, I believe, is what really sets it apart. The ability to get yourself up to date and informed on the full spectrum of variables that define our industry—in one day—is a rare opportunity indeed.
Of course, being a sourcing publication by definition, we have convened true experts on the subject. They are the executives working on the ground, not in theory but in practice, to give us the lay of the land—from what’s keeping them up at night to where we are headed.
Legislation is another big topic for our industry. We have experts from Washington to brief us on everything from the UFLPA to AGOA and all that’s in between.
Sustainability and traceability are changing the way our businesses operate in myriad ways. We’ve got it covered, from compliance to audits to green energy, as well as a closer look on how the consumer views this evolution.
As we all know too well, inventory has been a lingering issue. Our speakers will offer actionable solutions on how to better plan for demand, manage your markdowns, and maybe even produce less to earn more.
Merchandise returns have also been in the spotlight as we all look to trim costs and run our operations more efficiently. We’ll discuss ways to handle reverse logistics effectively and send more revenue to the bottom line.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has perhaps been the year’s biggest story. We’ll take a deep dive into how this exciting-but-perplexing technology is currently being used and where it will have the biggest impact in the months and years to come.
And of course, we’ll also have plenty of the candid one-on-one sit-downs with top executives that we are known for.
In response to feedback from past events, the day will have even more networking time. This is a great way to catch up with your colleagues over coffee or sit down for lunch and ink some new business—then celebrate over cocktails.
