NextGen Supply Chain Conference returns to Nashville in 2026 with focus on innovation, talent, and transformation

The NextGen Supply Chain Conference returns in 2026 with a continued focus on the strategies, technologies, and leadership skills shaping the future of supply chain management.

After a successful 2025 event, the NextGen Supply Chain Conference will once again return to the W Nashville hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The 2026 event will take place Oct. 21-23, 2026.

Designed for senior supply chain, operations, and logistics leaders, NextGen brings together practitioners, innovators, and solution providers for candid, experience-driven conversations about what is working—and what’s next.

This year’s theme—Innovate. Upskill. Transform—is designed to help supply chain practitioners understand the technologies available, the skills people and organizations need to develop to implement those technologies, and the strategic guidance needed to tune their supply chains to take advantage of opportunities that lie ahead.

Building on the momentum of recent events, the 2026 conference will once again emphasize practical insight, showcasing how leading organizations are applying technology, developing talent, and transforming their supply chains in real time.

2026 Focus Areas

The 2026 agenda will center on four industry focus areas that reflect where supply chain innovation and investment are accelerating most rapidly:

• Logistics & Fulfillment
• Retail
• Food & Beverage
• Chemicals/Pharmaceuticals

Sessions and speakers will be selected and designed to ensure relevance within each focus area, while also highlighting cross-industry lessons around automation, AI, risk management, workforce upskilling, and network resilience.

Last year, Keynote speakers included:

• Val Marchevsky, EVP & CTO, Uber Freight
• Lisa Drane, Director, Procurement Supply Innovation, Logistics & Warehouse, Diageo
• Todd Stillwell, VP Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Dole Packaged Foods

Other speakers included supply chain executives from companies such as C.H. Robinson, Maersk, Kenco, GEODIS, Walmart, Kohler, Our Home, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Regeneron, Imbed Biosciences, Medline and many more. You can see the full list of the 2025 speakers here: https://www.nextgensupplychainconference.com/speakers/

Conference format: Designed for real-world insight

The NextGen Supply Chain Conference format will remain largely consistent with last year, based on strong attendee feedback. The event blends main-stage sessions with interactive small-group breakouts, creating opportunities for both big-picture perspective and peer-level discussion.

Small-group breakout sessions

A defining feature of NextGen is its small-group breakout sessions, which are intentionally designed to foster candid, practitioner-to-practitioner dialogue. These sessions:

• Are co-led by a technology provider and a customer
• Focus on real-world use cases, not product demos
• Highlight technologies and solutions actively in use today
• Encourage open discussion around implementation challenges, results, and lessons learned

This format allows attendees to engage directly with peers who are navigating similar challenges, while gaining grounded insight into how technology is being applied inside real supply chains.

Speaking opportunities

NextGen prioritizes end-user voices, and we welcome participation from supply chain leaders who are willing to share practical experiences and actionable insights.

If you are interested in speaking at the conference, either as an individual presenter or as part of a small-group session, please visit www.nextgensupplychainconference.com and when signing up to receive event alerts, check the box to indicate you are interested in a speaking opportunity.

Sponsorship & small-group participation

NextGen offers a limited number of sponsorship opportunities, including participation in small-group breakout sessions alongside a customer. These sessions are designed to deliver value first by demonstrating how solutions are being used in real operating environments.

If you are interested in sponsoring the conference or participating in a small-group session, please visit: https://www.nextgensupplychainconference.com/sponsors/

Join Us in Nashville

With its collaborative format, practitioner-led content, and focused industry tracks, the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference is built for leaders who are actively shaping the future of supply chain management.

Additional details on the agenda, speakers, and registration will be announced in the coming months.

We look forward to welcoming you to Nashville, Oct. 21–23, 2026.

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