SAPICS 2009

31ST SAPICS CONFERENCE DEFIES THE DOWNTURN !

Near record attendance, a high delegate profile, an outstanding exhibition and strong sponsorship support marked the 31st annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition for supply chain and operations professionals, which wrapped up at Sun City last week.

The organisers report that despite the economic downturn, this year's conference attracted 930 delegates - the second highest number ever - who have rated the event as one of the best. Comments SAPICS president Reuben Badana: "Our 31st annual conference exceeded all expectations, with delegates using words like 'awesome' and 'inspiring' to describe their experience."

This year's conference offered more than 30 presentations by South African and international speakers, as well as nine exceptional, interactive workshops and innovative ideas exchange sessions. "From pencils to pharmaceuticals, South Africa to San Diego, Lean to green, and oil to outsourcing, the delegates enjoyed a dazzling mix of presentations, with international and South African-flavoured offerings to suit the tastes of everyone attending," Badana adds. "The superb exhibition featured 58 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services for the supply chain and operations profession."

At the glittering gala dinner, this year's conference achievers were recognised, and included European-based speaker, Douglas Kent, who won the Terry Smee Award for the "Best Speaker" at the conference. Kent serves as the president of eKNOWtion, a global Supply Chain Consultancy he founded in 2002. He also serves as Chief Strategist and Director of Technology Forecaster's Quarterly Forum, a high-tech research and networking firm. In addition, he is the newly elected chairman of the European Supply Chain Council's Leadership team. His award-winning presentation was entitled "Supply Chain Management - It's a Risky Business".

Douw Jooste, a senior manager in the Sasol Oil Supply Chain Department, was named the winner of the Volkswagen Trophy for the "Best Paper from a Practitioner". In his presentation, Jooste looked at the "Migration of Sasol Oil to a Supply Chain Organisation".

The South African Breweries Trophy for the "Most Innovative Presentation" this year went to Harvey McChesney, president of McChesney Associates in the United States for his presentation entitled "Learn to Listen to Learn".

The "Best Exhibition Stand" Award was won by APC Storage Solutions.

The principal sponsor of the 2009 SAPICS Conference was BTS SA, while other prestigious sponsors included Oracle, SYSPRO, Imperial Logistics, Mastercard, Volition Consulting Services, MTN, UTi and Value Logistics.

The SAPICS Conference is run with the participation of the Supply Chain Council. The 2010 event takes place at Sun City from 25 to 27 July 2010. We hope to see you there!