The U of A’s Supply Chain Management Research Center within the Sam M. Walton College of Business is teaming up with Plug and Play Tech Center, once again, for the 2024 Supply Chain Trends & Expo Event on Thursday, April 25, at The Momentary in Bentonville.  

This conference focuses on automation and artificial intelligence within supply chains, with keynotes from John Phillips, SVP Customer Supply Chain at PepsiCo, and Prathibha Rajashekhar, SVP Innovation & Automation at Walmart.

Aside from the keynotes, the conference is presenting thoughtful panel discussions and pitches from startups disrupting the supply chain industry.

Listening to feedback from last year’s event, the 2024 event includes breakout sessions led by the U of A on research and talent development with Plug and Play speaking on innovation.

"The primary objective of the Trends expo has consistently been to forecast industry needs and offer insights from forward-thinking leaders who excel in today's dynamic landscape,” says Brian Johnson, director of corporate relations with the Supply Chain Management Research Center. “We firmly believe that by coming together to explore the opportunities presented by the Autonomous Supply Chain Revolution, we can equip businesses to effectively navigate complexities, embrace change and flourish in an ever-evolving competitive environment."

"I'm excited to collaborate again with the U of A’s SCMRC for the 2024 Supply Chain Trends & Expo," adds Josh Saffran, director at Plug and Play Tech Center. "This partnership consistently fosters innovation, and as we focus on automation and AI this year, I anticipate valuable discussions and contributions to the evolution of supply chain dynamics."

If you are interested in attending, please reach out to SCMRC@walton.uark.edu for more information. 

About Plug and Play: Plug and Play is a global innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley. Having built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house venture capitalist (VC), Plug and Play is able to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since its inception in 2006, Plug and Play’s programs have expanded worldwide to over 50 locations globally, giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 50,000 startups and 550 official corporate partners, Plug and Play has created the ultimate startup ecosystem. By providing active investments with over 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs and hosting more than 700 networking events per year, companies in its community have raised over $7 billion in funding. Successful portfolio exits for Plug and Play include Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com.  

About the Supply Chain Management Research Center: The Supply Chain Management Research Center was founded in 1996 to create an outreach platform for connecting representatives to the faculty and students of the then logistics and supply chain management program within the marketing department at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Today, the SCMRC still serves as the connector between industry, faculty and students of the now stand-alone J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management and is the trusted resource where industry leaders and academics can connect to exchange ideas, advance knowledge and cultivate the success of Walton supply chain management students. The SCMRC at the Walton College connects industry, faculty and students to lead the supply chain of the future.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.