From March 17 to 20, 2025, the McCormick Place in Chicago hosted ProMat 2025, the largest trade show in North America for the manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain industries. This premier event showcased cutting-edge technologies, innovative solutions, and industry trends, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to experience the future of supply chain management firsthand. This year’s event expanded beyond its traditional South and North Halls to include the newly added Lakeside Hall, making it the largest ProMat yet.
Please refer to the video “ProMat 2025 Recap” (4:30), which is available from MHI, the organizer of the event.
Highlights of ProMat 2025
Innovative Technologies on Display
ProMat 2025 featured a comprehensive range of advanced solutions, including:
- Automation and Robotics
- Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) demonstrated enhanced fleet management capabilities, while collaborative robots (Cobots) showcased their ability to safely interact with human workers. Automated forklifts, including compact driverless models, were also prominently displayed and demoed.
- AI and Machine Learning
- Exhibitors highlighted how AI/ML technologies are transforming inventory management, demand forecasting, and logistics operations.
- Smart Warehousing Solutions
- Advanced Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) exhibited greater flexibility for small-scale deployments.
Record-Breaking Attendance
Over 50,000 professionals from manufacturing and supply chain sectors attended ProMat 2025. With more than 1,160 exhibitors from diverse industries under one roof, the event provided unparalleled networking opportunities for participants to connect with global leaders and explore strategic partnerships.
Keynote Presentations
ProMat 2025 hosted four impactful keynote sessions:
- “The Data Effect: The Price of Not Knowing” by Paul Zikopoulos (IBM) explored how leveraging data can drive innovation and transform industries.
- Analyzes the role of data collection and decision making and how opportunities are lost by overlooking solvable problems. Explains how these dynamics drive innovation and how data and emerging technologies shape supply chain and business interactions.
- The opportunity to transform the industry by leveraging data.
- “The AI Opportunity for Supply Chains” by Azeem Azhar (Bloomberg) discussed strategies for integrating AI into supply chain operations.
- The impact of AI on the supply chain, based on academic research and practical knowledge.
- Shows how to turn the complexity of AI into clear strategic advantages and how to leverage AI for supply chain operations.
- “Journey from Prime Time to Coach Prime” by Deion Sanders shared insights on leadership and team-building from his unique perspective as a legendary athlete and coach.
- Legendary athlete, known for his highly motivational coaching style with athletes and fans, and current head coach at the University of Colorado. Shares his unique perspective on team building, fundraising, and community building.
- Known as “Prime Time” during his playing days, he was the first in history to compete in the World Series and Super Bowl.
- 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report presented by MHI and Deloitte highlighted trends like increased investment in technology and the rapid adoption of AI in supply chains.
- Presents the latest report on supply chain trends and digital technologies.
- Discusses the significance of the report and its impact on the supply chain industry.
According to the 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report: “The Digital Supply Chain Ecosystem: Orchestrating End-to-End Solutions,” published by MHI and Deloitte, 55% of supply chain leaders are increasing their investment in technology and innovation, with 60% planning to invest more than $1 million.
Adoption of artificial intelligence is also growing rapidly, with 28% of companies currently using some form of artificial intelligence and another 54% planning to do so within five years. Artificial intelligence is already providing value in many supply chain processes, such as inventory management, demand forecasting, and logistics, and is expected to play an even more important role in the future.
Trends impacting the supply chain in 2025 include inflation (38%), economic uncertainty (37%), labor and talent shortages (35%), supply chain agility and resiliency (28%), and inventory challenges (25%). To address these challenges, companies are leveraging technology to increase efficiency, transparency, and sustainability.
Innovation Awards
The prestigious MHI Innovation Awards recognized groundbreaking products that are shaping the future of logistics:
- Best Innovation: Anyware Robotics’ Pixmo Mobile Robot for autonomous truck unloading. (Fremont, CA)
- Autonomous solution for improving truck unloading and palletization.
- This mobile robot streamlines logistics operations and improves the efficiency of warehouses and distribution facilities by streamlining tasks, making them faster and more accurate than traditional manual operations.
- Best Existing Product Innovation: Concentric’s PowerHIVE Forklift Battery Reload System. (Carrollton, TX)
- Optimizes forklift battery performance and extends equipment life.
- The system improves on an existing product to increase warehouse operational efficiency, specifically by improving the battery recharge process, reducing maintenance time and increasing overall productivity.
- Best IT Innovation: Fidus Global’s Pontem Warehouse Management System. (Paragould, AR)
- Integrates various warehouse operations into one platform, streamlining processes and improving communication between systems.
- The system facilitates warehouse operations, improves overall operational efficiency, and enables companies to manage logistics more effectively.
- Best Sustainable Innovation: GRI’s ULTIMATE GREEN XT tire made from eco-friendly materials. (Durham, North Carolina)
- Uses 93.5% eco-friendly materials and an energy-efficient manufacturing process.
- The tire provides superior performance while increasing sustainability and helping companies improve productivity.
Startups Stealing the Spotlight
The Startup Pavilion featured emerging companies presenting revolutionary solutions powered by robotics, AI, and IoT. Freespace Robotics won the MHI Startup Award for its Dynamic Storage Cube technology, which integrates sorting and sequencing functions into a compact design.
Educational Opportunities
ProMat 2025 offered over 200 seminars covering topics such as sustainability in logistics, supply chain resilience, and workforce challenges. Additionally, initiatives like Student Day connected over 400 students with industry professionals to inspire the next generation of supply chain talent.
Women in Supply Chain Conference
The inaugural conference featured a keynote by Taylor Elyse Morrison on strategies, one of Fortune magazine’s “10 Innovators Shaping the Future of Health,” founder of Inner Workout, and author of the book of the same name, to combat burnout among women in the industry. This session underscored the importance of fostering balance and resilience in supply chain careers.
Looking Ahead
The next major event organized by MHI is MODEX 2026, scheduled for April 13–16 in Atlanta. ProMat will return to Chicago’s McCormick Place in March 2027.
See you then!