This year’s National Conference, sponsored by Kallikor, was our biggest and best conference ever, with 25% more delegates than last year and over half attending for the very first time. This year, the event was concentrated into a single day with six break-out sessions on specialist topics selected by members and delivered by experts.
‘Disruptive technology is coming at speed – Act Now!’
Delegates left the event invigorated, informed and better prepared to navigate new challenges and opportunities created by the emergence of Generative AI and other disruptive technologies.
Keynote speaker Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics and highly respected commentator on retail trends, said that the shift from omni-channel players to ‘Unified Commerce’ is the biggest disruption in in a decade, with retailers forced to raise their game and looking to their supply chain partners to support them in meeting new demands and driving efficiency, particularly on delivery and returns management.
Fellow keynote speaker Martin Brickell, Director at Accenture, referenced the wide use of Gen AI, which he said was business critical and a C-suite level topic. “This technology is coming at speed. It is here to stay, and the cost is dropping – Act now!” he said.
Conference sponsor Kallikor brought to life the benefits of AI intelligent simulation for warehouses with a real-world case study of a recently completed project, using its Warehouse DesignLab technology, for UKWA member Howard Tenens Logistics, while delegates also heard from James Turpin, Director of Logistics for NHS Supply Chain, who described the huge task of providing 28 million consumables to 215 NHS trusts annually, the challenges of legacy systems and maintaining the balance between stability and transformation.
The final key speaker after a day packed with inspirational presentations and animated discussions was Kevin Mofid, Head of EMEA I&L Research at Savills, who had more to add on market disruption and predicted a ‘golden era’ ahead for bringing forward warehouse schemes, with ESG becoming a higher priority.
Bringing the conference to a close, an excellent networking dinner included entertainment from guest speaker Professor Vicky Tolfrey, and a short address by Rachel Taylor MP, Chair of the APPG for Freight and Logistics, who made clear her strong support for our sector.
“My thanks go to our wonderful speakers and panellists, headline sponsor Kallikor and all our exhibitors for the support and the value they added to our event,” UKWA CEO Clare Bottle commented. “Thanks too to all those who attended, engaged and networked together, making this year’s National Conference such an extraordinary and memorable event!”