Supply Chain Management Review

Robert A. Rudzki

ISM Conference in St. Louis - I
May 8, 2008

I’ve just returned to my Pittsburgh office, after attending and presenting two workshops at the 93^rd Annual ISM Conference, held this year in St. Louis, Missouri.

A few impressions of my own, melded with comments from fellow attendees:

• Attendance was lighter than last year’s Las Vegas venue – perhaps supporting the contention that location, not just content, affects attendance. Note: Next year’s conference will be in Charlotte, NC. One conference attendee wished out loud that ISM would arrange a golf outing as part of the Charlotte program, perhaps on Saturday or Sunday before the conference gets in full swing.
• Some very good, new topics on this year’s program, presented by some very talented speakers.
• Some “repeat” topics from past programs. Some of them are in the “golden oldies” category, while others – based on low attendance - deserve a dignified funeral with no promise of resurrection. 
• The ISM bookstore is doing a better job providing copies of the latest books in supply management – making it easy to preview new titles and make a buying decision on the spot.
• The conference lunches left a lot to be desired. I didn’t think it was possible to overcook chicken in new ways, but the convention site kitchen staff was creative.
• St. Louis is not a city for enjoying an evening walk, if you value your life. 

Aside from the generally good program content, the annual ISM conference is the mega networking opportunity for those in the supply management profession. Plan to attend next year’s sessions in Charlotte!

Posted by Robert A. Rudzki on May 8, 2008 | Comments (0)