What Industry Leaders are Saying…
History: How did the BGSA Supply Chain Conference begin?
When it All Started
The BGSA Supply Chain Conference began in 2007. At the time, dozens of industry conferences existed. They included trade shows, academic events, and Wall Street conferences. No one event gave CEOs a strategic perspective on the big issues in their business.
Meanwhile, the world was changing. Truck brokerage companies were merging with freight forwarding. Warehousing companies were converging with contract packaging. 4PLs were emerging as one-stop-shop services. In short, the historical barriers between supply chain segments were eroding, as customers sought more holistic solutions.
History of the Idea – with BGSA Founder Benjamin Gordon
BGSA Founder Benjamin Gordon had a simple idea. Why not create a forum for CEOs across all areas of supply chain? Leaders could share learnings across all sectors, including asset-based and non-asset, global and domestic, air and ocean, trucking and rail, technology-based and old-fashioned. CEOs could benefit from the pattern recognition and cross-sector insights that would emerge.
In addition, most events were covered by the press. This prevented public companies from being able to speak candidly. And it discouraged private companies from speaking their mind. What if BGSA could provide a media-free forum?
Presentation format was another issue. Throughout their career history, Gordon and the BGSA team had by that point sat through hundreds of “death by Powerpoint” presentations where the audience dozed off. What if BGSA could foster a no-Powerpoint philosophy, where the core agenda was about interactive discussions and audience Q&A? Would panelists and participants be more transparent? Would they learn more from one another? Would competitors be willing to let down their guard and say what they really thought?
Venue was the last topic. Many conferences chose to locate in convention centers. They saved money but made it less appealing for busy CEOs to travel. What if you picked one of the finest luxury hotels in the world, in one of the most appealing resort destinations, in a location that was easy to reach, with a range of fun activities for busy executives and their spouses? In other words, how about the Breakers in Palm Beach?
Year One
With these goals in mind, BGSA launched the first Supply Chain Conference in January 2007. Chaired by BGSA’s Benjamin Gordon in Palm Beach at the Breakers, the event included approximately 70 CEOs. Their feedback was positive, as well as constructive. The rest, as they say, is history.
The BGSA Supply Chain Conference Today
Over the subsequent years, the conference has more than tripled. BGSA continues to host it in Palm Beach. Sponsors like Benesch, Cambridge Capital, FedEx, DAT, Lean Staffing, JDA, DHL, UPS, WNS, XPO and other outstanding firms have volunteered to invest to help make the event even better. The agenda continues to center around interactive panels with top CEOs. Benjamin Gordon and Cambridge Capital have invested in companies at the conference. So have other investment firms. BGSA Supply Chain continues to be an invitation-only event. And we believe it gathers the “best and brightest” in the industry, featuring CEOs across all areas of supply chain.
The topics today reflect the issues supply chain CEOs care about. What will Amazon do next? How will ecommerce fulfillment and last-mile logistics transform? How can corporate giants transform to compete with new challengers? What mergers, acquisitions and investments are the smartest companies pursuing?
In the future, we expect to continue to evolve, as the world changes and as participants provide valuable input. Thank you for your interest!
To Learn More
If you would like to contact the BGSA Supply Chain Conference team, click here.
To learn more about highlights from prior BGSA Supply Chain events, visit Medium and the Palm Beach Daily News.
Registration for BGSA Supply Chain 2024 will open this summer.
2023 Recap
Commentary & video intros from the 17th annual conference
2022 Recap
Commentary from the 16th annual conference
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
Video highlights & intros from the 2021 virtual conference
“The content was outstanding and the networking opportunities opened a number of doors!”
Mark Dienesch – President, National Logistics Services
“BGSA is the gold standard in providing content that defines the future of supply chain management.“
John Burke – CEO, ARMADA
“The BGSA conference is always a great start to the year for any company that wants to hit the ground running in January with insights from supply chain leaders and the latest technology innovations that can have immediate impact on your business.”
“The offline unplanned exchanges were, as always, extremely beneficial and will lead to expanded business opportunities for our logistics team. The presentations were mind expanding and all very worthwhile.”
“What a pleasure to be surrounded by so many great leaders in the supply chain and logistics space. I made many connections with colleagues, competitors and future partners and look forward to the possibilities those will bring. Everything about the event was first class and I look forward to next year.”
“In just 72 hours I was able to meet with and begin to build relationships with CEOs, founders, and investment bankers across the supply chain space. There is no other conference with this level of networking opportunity in our industry.”
“It was an honor to attend the BGSA Conference, which was (by far!) the best conceived and best executed event I have ever attended. The speakers, content and venue were perfect. The event was pricier than anything else I attend, but I got more return on my time and money than I have at any other event. If anything, I should have stayed longer!”
“I was extremely impressed with the Supply Chain executive representation at the conference that allowed for networking and candid conversations.”
“Insightful dialog with a leader in the supply chain industry seeking strong tools and technologies to deliver on their growth ambitions.”
Rich Pirrotta – CEO, Synergy North America
“Insightful dialog with a leader in the supply chain industry seeking strong tools and technologies to deliver on their growth ambitions.”
Rich Pirrotta – CEO, Synergy North America
“Truly a terrific event in terms of panelists, content and participants. It was very interesting to get the perspectives from so many industry leaders on the latest trends and at the same time learn about the leading-edge developments on the technology front.”
“I wanted to thank you for the invitation to the BGSA conference. Despite having to depart late Thursday for a closing, I cannot express how valuable the conference was for PLS. While I’m only three months into my role, your conference added just under $2B on a revenue basis, and 11 vetted firms to our pipeline. We cannot think of another event where we could quantify such a return.”
“I had a wonderful time at the conference. I found the content informative and helpful, and I made many good contacts while there.”
“This was among the best, if not the best of your annual conferences… the team knocked it out of the park, and your assembly of great panelists, a highly relevant agenda, and diverse supply chain focused attendees results in C level networking you just can’t get anywhere else.”
“Presenters were excellent and the content was on point and very informative. I particularly liked the technology sessions touching on disruption and what’s new. It was interesting to hear and understand how different companies are approaching new technology investments. Always interesting to hear what is going on from a trucking perspective especially after the year we just had.”
“The best event for decision makers in the logistics and supply chain industry. With many CEOs and other C-suite executives, I left feeling well informed on the trends and news in our industry for the coming year. There were many networking opportunities at this incredible venue and I was able to expand my network, finding new opportunities for my company.”
“It was a pleasure to attend my first BGSA event, where I was able to spend time with some of the most important leaders in supply chain and technology. Learning more about the innovation taking place in the sector from my time spent at the event will help Pitney Bowes continue to be a leader in its category.”
Gregg S. Zegras – EVP/President, Global Ecommerce, Pitney Bowes
“The sessions, conversations and networking were superb with every detail well thought out and planned. You have a great team that cares and it shows.”
“BGSA is an excellent opportunity to meet with different aspects of the Logistics business. From the latest technology, updates on deal-making and catching up with asset/asset light transportation executives. The Breakers is a beautiful location with the right atmosphere to create opportunities. The location, though, is only as good as the people who are attending and BGSA makes that happen!”
“There is not a better way to start the conference season than attending BGSA. The conference is a terrific meeting point of the supply chain leaders, thinkers and innovators that drive the industry today, and delivers terrific, relevant content through panels, speakers and receptions.”
“There is no other conference I’m aware of that I’m able to get completely updated on trends with Technology, network with Industry CEOs and professionals, connect with potential or past investors, get updates on our business climate and to top it all off, enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Breakers!! Great job BGSA Team!”
“BGSA assembles several of the most interesting decision makers in our business in an informal and relaxed setting. This provides great networking and educational opportunities for attendees.”
“From my perspective, the best part about the BGSA Conference is that it provides a platform for more junior (up and coming) Founders/CEO’s to connect with Founders/CEO’s of the largest companies in transportation/logistics. I met the majority of my industry mentors and friends for the first time @BGSA or strengthened an existing relationship during the conference. Also, when you put a CEO on stage, you significantly enhance their status in the industry.”