UK Hosting 7th Annual Supply Chain Forum on Feb. 23

What do you get when you put together a new location, a new format and a timely theme for a business conference? You get a lot of excitement and “buzz” from potential attendees, presenters and sponsors. That’s definitely the feeling surrounding the seventh annual Supply Chain Forum hosted by the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics on Thursday, Feb. 23.

The 2017 edition of the event is titled “Managing Risk in the Supply Chain” and will be held in the Woodford Reserve Club inside Commonwealth Stadium. And rather than a reception the night before and the forum beginning the next morning, this year’s conference is an all-afternoon affair followed by the announcement of the third annual Commonwealth Supply Chain Innovation Award winner, then an early evening reception which will include Project Connect presentations by students in Gatton’s One Year MBA program.

An effective supply chain is a key component to business success, ensuring a product or service moves efficiently from supplier to customer.

This year’s forum gets started with check-in from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Scott Vollet of Tempur Sealy, which has its world headquarters at UK’s Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington, will deliver the keynote presentation: “Key Risk Management Focus Areas.” That will be followed by a panel discussion on risk management featuring Pat Murzyn of Caterpillar, Michelle Rawlings of Lexmark International, and John Singleton of Wen-Parker Logistics.

Attendees then have their choice of following two different pathways. Path 1 includes Derek Browning of LeanCor talking about “Designing for Supply Chain Risk,” and Jake Barr of Blueworld Supply Chain Consulting on the topic of “Risky Business — How Scenario and Trade-off Planning Can Keep You Ahead.”

Path 2 kicks off with Greg Schlegel, founder of the Supply Chain Risk Management Consortium, presenting “Supply Chain Risk & Resiliency: An Emerging Discipline.” Mark Demers of SAS International Inc. follows with “The Analytical-Driven Supply Chain.”

To register or for more information on the forum, go to http://gatton.uky.edu/supply-chain-forum.

The Supply Chain Forum is coordinated through the Gatton College’s Don and Cathy Jacobs Executive Education Center. Lorna Patches, director of the Jacobs Center and the UK-University of Louisville Executive MBA program, said this year’s gathering has drawn an enthusiastic response from sponsors.

“We’re delighted to announce a record number of sponsors, including SAS International Inc., which once again is presenting the Commonwealth Supply Chain Innovation Award,” Patches said. “We want to sincerely thank our other sponsors, including Papa John’s International Inc.; Brown-Forman; LBX; Blue World Supply Chain Consulting LLC; Lexmark International; Service First Logistics Incorporated/SFL Express LLC; and LG&E and KU Energy LLC.”

For any questions regarding the upcoming Supply Chain Forum or the 2017 Commonwealth Supply Chain Innovation Award, contact Lucy Tepper, conference coordinator, at 859-257-8746 or via email to lucy.tepper@uky.edu.