Supply Chain & Logistics Trade Shows 2026: Top Events for Sales Teams

Quick answer: The supply chain and logistics trade shows worth targeting in 2026 are MODEX, Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo, Home Delivery World, Manifest, and CSCMP EDGE. Each attracts a different segment of logistics buyers. To build attendee lists with verified contacts, tools like WhoGoes surface names, emails, and LinkedIn proof of attendance. Preview contacts free at whogoes.co.

Why Supply Chain Trade Shows Matter for Sales Teams in 2026

Supply chain went from back-office function to boardroom priority in about three years. The pandemic did that. And the aftershocks haven't stopped.

In 2026, the spending is real. According to Gartner, supply chain technology investment is growing at 12-15% annually as companies race to automate warehouses, diversify suppliers, and fix the last-mile problem that still eats margins. McKinsey's research shows that 90% of supply chain leaders plan to invest in resilience capabilities over the next two years.

That translates to crowded expo floors and packed session halls at supply chain conferences. The buyers are there. VP of Supply Chain, Director of Logistics, Head of Warehouse Operations, Chief Procurement Officer. They're evaluating warehouse management systems, transportation management platforms, robotics, visibility tools, and everything in between.

For sales teams selling into this space, the conference circuit is the best pipeline source outside of direct referrals. One SDR I talked to said they book more qualified meetings from two supply chain events per year than from six months of cold outreach, mostly because the buyers walking those expo floors have already self-identified as actively shopping for the exact category of solution his company sells. But only if they know who's going before they show up.

TL;DR

• MODEX (April, Atlanta) is the material handling and automation showcase, ~45,000 attendees across the expo
• Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo (May, Orlando) draws the senior strategy crowd, heavy on VPs and C-suite
• Manifest (February, Las Vegas) is the logistics tech and startup play
• Home Delivery World (May, Nashville) focuses on last-mile and ecommerce fulfillment
• CSCMP EDGE (September, Nashville) is the practitioner conference for operations and transportation leaders
• You don't need a $20K booth to get attendee data. Build your list from LinkedIn proof

2026 Supply Chain & Logistics Conference Calendar

The Top 5 Supply Chain & Logistics Trade Shows in 2026

MODEX 2026 (April 13-16, Atlanta)

MODEX is the heavyweight. Organized by MHI (the Material Handling Industry association), it alternates years with ProMat and draws around 45,000 visitors to the Georgia World Congress Center. The expo floor is massive: 1,000+ exhibitors showing everything from autonomous mobile robots to conveyor systems to warehouse management software.

The attendee mix skews toward operations. Expect warehouse managers, distribution center directors, VP of Operations, and supply chain engineers. According to MHI, over 60% of attendees are directly involved in purchasing decisions for material handling and automation equipment.

For sales teams, MODEX is where deals start for big-ticket automation projects. If your product touches the warehouse, from pick-and-pack robotics to inventory management software to racking systems, this is the room. Booth traffic stays heavy from open to close all four days, and the after-hours demos and private hospitality suites are where the real budget conversations happen with the operations VPs who actually sign off on capital projects. That's the catch. We profiled the attendee breakdown in detail in our MODEX 2026 attendee deep dive.

Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo (May 4-6, Orlando)

This is the strategy event. Where MODEX is about hardware and the warehouse floor, Gartner's Symposium is about digital transformation, AI-powered planning, and supply chain leadership. The ~4,000 attendees are senior. Gartner events consistently draw VP-level and above.

The attendee profile includes Chief Supply Chain Officers, VPs of Procurement, Directors of Supply Chain Strategy, and Heads of S&OP. These are people making decisions about platforms, not individual tools. According to Gartner, the 2026 agenda focuses on AI in demand sensing, autonomous supply chains, and sustainability metrics.

If you sell enterprise supply chain software, planning and optimization tools, or consulting services, this is the highest-density room for decision-makers. The event is smaller than MODEX, but the buyer quality per attendee is higher.

Manifest 2026 (February 10-12, Las Vegas)

Manifest brands itself as "The Future of Logistics." It's where logistics tech startups pitch, VCs evaluate deals, and established players scout innovation. The ~5,000 attendees include a mix of logistics operators, technology providers, investors, and executives from shippers and carriers.

The vibe is more startup ecosystem than traditional trade show. Sessions cover autonomous trucking, drone delivery, supply chain visibility platforms, and freight-tech funding trends. If your buyers are innovation-focused logistics leaders who evaluate emerging technology, Manifest is the event.

One distinction: Manifest attendees tend to be more active on LinkedIn than attendees at traditional material handling shows. More posts, more engagement, more public signal. Good for building LinkedIn-verified attendee lists.

Home Delivery World USA (May 20-21, Nashville)

Home Delivery World zeroes in on the last mile. Ecommerce fulfillment, same-day delivery, returns logistics, dark stores, micro-fulfillment centers. The ~3,000 attendees come from retail, grocery, DTC brands, and the carriers and technology providers serving them.

The attendee profile includes VP of Ecommerce, Director of Fulfillment, Head of Delivery Operations, and last-mile technology buyers. The event is laser-focused on the problems that keep these people up at night: delivery speed, cost per package, and customer experience.

If you sell last-mile delivery software, route optimization, warehouse automation for ecommerce, or delivery fleet management tools, this is your event. The audience is niche but high-intent.

CSCMP EDGE (September, Nashville)

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) runs EDGE as the practitioner conference for logistics and supply chain operations. Around 3,500 attendees, heavy on transportation managers, warehouse operations directors, supply chain analysts, and mid-to-senior logistics professionals.

EDGE is less flashy than Manifest and smaller than MODEX, but the attendee quality is consistent. These are people who manage supply chains day-to-day, not just strategize about them. If your product serves the operational layer, think TMS, WMS, yard management, dock scheduling, or freight audit, EDGE puts you in front of the hands-on buyers.

Key Topics Driving Supply Chain Events in 2026

Understanding what's on the agenda helps you personalize outreach. These five themes dominate every major supply chain conference this year:

Warehouse automation and robotics. AMR (autonomous mobile robots), goods-to-person systems, and robotic picking are moving from pilot to production. According to Interact Analysis, the warehouse robotics market is growing at 25%+ annually. Every MODEX booth has a robot.

AI-powered demand forecasting. Machine learning models that predict demand, optimize inventory, and reduce stockouts are the hottest software category in supply chain. Gartner's Symposium dedicates multiple tracks to this.

Nearshoring and supply chain resilience. Companies are diversifying supplier bases after years of single-source risk. Mexico, Vietnam, and India are the hot destinations. The shift creates demand for new logistics networks, visibility tools, and customs/compliance software.

Last-mile delivery innovation. Same-day, next-day, and scheduled delivery are now table stakes for ecommerce. Retailers and grocers are investing in micro-fulfillment, delivery orchestration, and returns management. Home Delivery World is ground zero for this trend.

Sustainability and carbon measurement. ESG reporting requirements (especially the EU's CSRD) are forcing supply chains to measure and reduce emissions. Scope 3 emissions tracking, sustainable packaging, and green logistics are growing budget categories, and the vendors winning enterprise deals in this space are the ones who can show real audit trails rather than the carbon accounting hand-waving that dominated the last three years of pitches.

How to Build Your Supply Chain Event Attendee List

You don't need a $20,000 exhibitor package to know who's attending these events. Here's the playbook for sales teams:

1. Browse upcoming events on WhoGoes and preview attendee data for free
2. Pull LinkedIn-verified contacts for your target events. Each contact includes their name, title, company, email, and a link to their LinkedIn post about the event
3. Filter against your ICP: look for VP/Director-level contacts in operations, supply chain, logistics, or procurement at companies matching your target profile
4. Start outreach 3-5 weeks before the event with personalized emails referencing the specific show
5. Follow up within 48 hours after the event while the experience is fresh

For the complete guide on all methods for building attendee lists, see How to Get a Trade Show Attendee List in 2026.

WhoGoes provides LinkedIn-verified attendee data for 1,200+ events, including MODEX and the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium. Every contact comes with a screenshot of the LinkedIn post that proves the person actually attended, which makes the difference between a real working list and the recycled spreadsheets that data brokers have been selling to logistics SDR teams for years. Preview 5 contacts free for any event. Credits start at $29 for 200 contacts. No subscription. No demo call.

Related: Trade Show Attendee Data for SDRs covers the full outreach workflow, from list building to post-event follow-up.