AGENDA

24

Monday

MON

6:30 am - 5:00 pm

Registration & Guest Relations

Description
MON

7:00 - 9:00 am

Networking Breakfast

Description
9:00 – 10:15 am

Monday Keynote:
Frank Luntz

Description
MON

10:15 am - 4:00 pm

Guest Event: All Aboard!

Climb aboard Colorado’s most spectacular train excursion through the Rockies and travel in comfort and style on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. Guests will traverse along the winding Arkansas River, complete with dramatic views of 1,000-foot granite cliffs that tower high above the train. Combine breathtaking views with options of covered or open-air railcars. Guests will enjoy lunch deep within one of America’s most iconic canyons, and return to The Broadmoor in time for the evening networking reception.
10:15 - 11:15 am

Connections Leadership Series: The Drive to Excellence with SJ Consulting Group, Inc.’s Satish Jindel

Logistics and supply chain professionals will find value in the Connections leadership series that combines the latest in new trends, business strategies, corporate culture, and cutting-edge technologies driving the future of trucking and supply chain management. Prepare to interact with the brightest minds, leading the charge with real-world challenges and game-changing solutions to help define your drive to excellence.

Moderator: Bill Cassidy, Sr. Editor – Trucking and Domestic Transportation | The Journal of Commerce
MON

11:15 - 11:30 am

Networking Break

Description
MON

11:30 am - 12:15 pm

General Session 1: Have We Reached the Freight Inflection?

US trucking stands at a critical juncture where numerous significant happenings will converge over the next year. For example, the global destocking period appears to be over after 18 months of inventory overstock, but how will that impact a changing global supply chain cycle? The global operating environment remains uncertain, and distribution channel disruptions are still commonplace; how might that change for better or worse over the next 18 months? Sourcing diversification is also changing US distribution patterns, could that change freight flows and mode choices? And with the third manufacturing revolution underway, how will that impact LTL in the coming years? Join Armada Corporate Intelligence’’s Keith Prather as we address these questions and more.

Speaker: Keith Prather, Managing Director | Armada Corporate Intelligence
MON

12:15 – 1:30 pm

Networking Lunch

Description
1:30 – 2:15 pm

Connections Leadership Series: The Drive to Excellence with XPO’s Jay Silberkleit

Logistics and supply chain professionals will find value in the Connections leadership series that combines the latest in new trends, business strategies, corporate culture, and cutting-edge technologies driving the future of trucking and supply chain management. Prepare to interact with the brightest minds, leading the charge with real-world challenges and game-changing solutions to help define your drive to excellence.

Moderator: Jeff Berman, Group News Editor | Peerless Media
MON

2:15 – 3:15 pm

General Session 2: One Giant Leap for LTL

In recent years LTL carriers have grown even smarter, pricing their services more accurately with greater discipline. While volumes last year were down, yields were up proving that LTL is one of the more well-managed niches in a $400 billion dollar trucking industry. So, what’s next? From warehousing to integrated logistics centers, top LTL carriers are boldly diversifying. This timely session explores how some carriers are taking measured steps to grow revenue while mitigating risk.

Moderator: Bill Cassidy, Sr. Editor – Trucking and Domestic Transportation | Journal of Commerce

Speakers: Dennis Anderson, Chief Strategy Officer | ArcBest
John Luciani, COO – LTL Solutions | A. Duie Pyle
Kent Williams, EVP – Sales and Marketing | Averitt
4:15 – 6:30 pm

Networking Reception: I’d Rather Be a Cowboy

Take part in a stunning networking reception at The Broadmoor’s Cheyenne Lodge. With no shortage of beautiful scenery, award-winning singer and songwriter Chris Collins will join the festivities to pay homage to legendary artist John Denver. Chris’ captivating performance features hits like “Rocky Mountain High,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “I’d Rather be a Cowboy,” and more. Buses begin boarding on a rotating schedule outside Broadmoor Hall at 4:00 p.m. for the short ride to Cheyenne Lodge. The last bus returns at 6:45 p.m.

25

Tuesday

TUE

6:30 am - 5:00 pm

Registration & Guest Relations

Description
TUE

7:00 – 9:00 am

Networking Breakfast

Description
TUE

7:45 – 8:45 am

Digital LTL Council Meeting

For decades LTL has served as the backbone of the US supply chain. However, a July survey by Morgan Stanley among a sampling of brokers, carriers and shippers found 66% of brokers foresee permanent changes to LTL’s future while carriers and shippers agree to a slightly lesser degree. As industry professionals face the new realities of freight management, LTL has become a hot topic across boardrooms. What could the altered future of LTL look like? Buckle up as our knowledge expert unravels LTL’s path forward.
9:00 – 9:50 am

Connections Leadership Series: The Drive to Excellence with ATRI’s Rebecca Brewster

Logistics and supply chain professionals will find value in the Connections leadership series that combines the latest in new trends, business strategies, corporate culture, and cutting-edge technologies driving the future of trucking and supply chain management. Prepare to interact with the brightest minds, leading the charge with real-world challenges and game-changing solutions to help define your drive to excellence.

Moderator: Victoria Kickham, Senior Editor | DC Velocity
TUE
9:30 am – 6:00 pm

Exclusive Workshop: Transportation Contract Law
Presented by SMC³ with Moseley Marcinak Law Group
Enhance your contract preparation skills and legal understanding to excel in the transportation industry. Join our comprehensive 1-day course tailored for logistics and supply chain professionals in the US. From contract types to real-world case studies, gain the knowledge and tools to navigate and optimize transportation contracts effectively. Elevate your expertise and confidence in contract management with our expert-led program.

During this exclusive workshop, you’ll cover:
- The Contract’s 3-Part Process – Types of Contracts & Their Provisions
- Damages & Claims: Real-World Case Studies
- Benchmark cases on motor carrier contract provisions and evaluate how the courts apply the law to today’s transportation contracts.
- How to utilize the ATA-NITL Model Agreement as a good framework to build out a fair contract agreement.
- and more!
As a bonus, bring your own contract for a short 1:1 discussion with the instructor, and receive a video recording of the workshop following the conference.

*Course registration is required separate from Connections 2024.
TUE

9:30 – 11:00 am

Guest Event: Art & History Tour

The Broadmoor is a treasure trove of 100 years’ worth of historical artifacts, artwork, and memorabilia, along with details of the lives of Broadmoor founders, Julie and Spencer Penrose. Guests can enjoy an art and history tour of The Broadmoor at 9:30 a.m., then afterwards gather poolside at the cabanas – a great place to relax in the Colorado sun.
TUE

9:50 – 10:30 am

General Session 3: Reshaping the 3PL Industry

The giants of the 3PL industry don’t compete in their space, they reshape it. Within this fast-paced landscape the game remains the same, but the strategies are always evolving. This timely session reveals an innovative playbook of strategies and trends, as well as the relentless pace of emerging technologies reshaping the future of third-party logistics.

Moderator: Jeff Berman, Group News Editor | Peerless Media

Speakers: Daniel Curling, CTO | Worldwide Express
Andrew Dawson, CPO | InXpress
Jessica Thompson, VP – Marketing | Transportation Intermediaries Association
TUE

10:30 – 10:45 am

Networking Break

Description
TUE

10:45 – 11:30 am

Connections Leadership Series: The Drive to Excellence with Truckstop.com’s Noel Perry and FTR’s Avery Vise

Logistics and supply chain professionals will find value in the Connections leadership series that combines the latest in new trends, business strategies, corporate culture, and cutting-edge technologies driving the future of trucking and supply chain management. Prepare to interact with the brightest minds, leading the charge with real-world challenges and game-changing solutions to help define your drive to excellence.
TUE

11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Guest Event: Reserved Poolside Cabanas

Gather poolside at the cabanas, a great place to relax in the Colorado sun! If you are looking for a day on your own, Colorado Springs has more than 50 attractions and magnificant scenery for outdoor adventures. There’s no shortage of things to do in the beautiful mountains!
TUE

11:30 – 1:00 pm

Networking Lunch

Description
TUE

11:45 am – 6:00 pm

2024 SMC³ Golf Classic

The Broadmoor Golf Club is home to some of the most celebrated golf in the United States. Designed by legends including Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones, Sr., The Broadmoor has hosted countless tournaments, while challenging and delighting players of every skill level. Regardless of your handicap, become part of the decades-long tradition of mixing golf and business at the SMC³ Golf Classic.
TUE

6:30 – 10:00 pm

Networking Reception: Whiskey and Wolves

It’s pure Colorado as Connections 2024 presents a night of stunning views, whiskey – and wolves. Set against the backdrop of the majestic Rockies, this outdoor adventure begins with a sampling of Colorado cuisine set to the sounds of Premium Diesel. Replicating the taste, smell and folklore of the Wild West, enjoy the magic that is Distillery 291. Ever wanted to hang out with a wolf? This unique encounter is for both animal lovers and adventurous souls. Throughout the night experience, our four-legged, furry bartenders as “beer and burros” provide a taste of local Colorado suds.

26

Wednesday

WED

6:30 am – Noon

Registration & Guest Relations

Description
WED

7:00 – 9:00 am

Networking Breakfast

Description
WED

9:00 – 11:00 am

Guest Activity: Rise and Shine with SMC³

Finish off Connections on a high note at the annual SMC³ Rise and Shine guest event! Enjoy a soothing chair massage before heading home. Relax, rejuvenate, and recharge the mind, body and spirit.
WED

9:00 – 9:50 am

Connections Leadership Series: The Drive to Excellence with former US Secretary of Transportation’s James H. Burnley IV

Logistics and supply chain professionals wil find value in the Connections leadership series that combines the latest in new trends, business strategies, corporate culture, and cutting-edge technologies driving the future of trucking and supply chain management. Prepare to interact with the brightest minds, leading the charge with real-world challenges and game-changing solutions to help define your drive to excellence.

Moderator: Randy Mullet, Principal | Mullett Strategies
WED

9:50 – 10:30 am

General Session 4: Trucking’s Big Environmental Moment

The trucking industry is facing an unprecedented number of legislative and regulatory environmental challenges. Over the next thirty-six months, recently enacted regulations could change how the trucking industry operates and how it interacts with its customer partners. From what type of equipment the trucking industry will be required to operate to extensive emissions reporting, the industry faces an onslaught of legislative and regulatory initiatives. Trucking advocacy partners from Washington DC will share what to expect on the road ahead, including what role the upcoming elections may play in setting the industry’s blueprint for several decades to come.

Moderator: George Lauriat, Editor-in-Chief | American Journal of Transportation
Speakers: Mike Kelley, VP – Sustainability and Membership | SMC³
Jim Mullen, Chief Strategy Officer | NMFTA
WED

10:30 – 10:45 am

Networking Break

Description
WED

10:45 – 11:30 am

General Session 5: Cracking the Code on Truckload-Shipper Collaboration

In recent years, the concept of truckload carrier-shipper collaboration has emerged as a growing necessity, addressing a landscape of unprecedented inefficiencies and uncertainty. Yet collaboration isn’t the “next big thing”; it is the thing that changes the way carriers and shippers partner to meet shared objectives. This timely session explores new trends and case examples of how truckload carriers and shippers today effectively collaborate through technology, as well as private and dedicated fleets to create optimal shipping outcomes.

Moderator: Cathy Roberson, Trade Analyst | Journal of Commerce

Speaker: Todd LaFond, VP – Strategic Partnerships | Flock Freight
WED

11:30 – 11:40 am

Grand Prize Drawing

Description

VENUE

The Broadmoor

1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906

1 Lake Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Experience the breathtaking, unique beauty of the American West at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Co. Surrounded by scenic trails, lush valleys and the larger-than-life Rocky Mountains, this iconic resort offers the ideal picturesque backdrop for Connections 2023.

*You must be registered for the conference to make a hotel reservation. A booking link will be included in your registration confirmation email.

HOTELS & TRANSPORTATION

The Broadmoor

1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906

1 Lake Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Hotel Reservations: 855.634.7711
Contact the hotel at 719.362.3276 to arrange shuttle transportation to and from the airport.

*You must be registered for the conference to make a hotel reservation. A booking link will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Preferred Overflow Property

The Mining Exchange
A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa

8 S. Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

8 S. Nevada Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Property is located approximately 15 minutes from The Broadmoor.

Book at a discounted rate

Getting There

Attendees can fly into the Colorado Springs Airport (COS) or Denver International Airport (DEN). Round-trip and one-way shuttle service is provided by The Broadmoor and Gray Line Private Transfer for a fee.

Learn more about The Broadmoor’s transportation options to COS and DEN here.

Parking

Valet Parking: the overnight Valet Parking Fee for Hotel Guests is $40.00 per night. Based upon availability, Valet parking for those visiting our restaurants or shops is complimentary.

Self-Parking: the overnight Self-Parking Fee for the Hotel Guests is $35.00 per night with full in and out privileges. For those visiting property, but not staying overnight, Self-Parking is available at an hourly fee.

WHAT IS CONNECTIONS?

WHAT OUR ATTENDEES ARE SAYING

SPEAKERS

Monday Keynote

LEADERSHIP SERIES

SPEAKERS

AGENDA

24

Monday

25

Tuesday

26

Wednesday

VENUE

The Broadmoor

HOTELS & TRANSPORTATION

The Broadmoor

The Mining Exchange
A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa

Getting There

Parking

GOLF

2024 SMC³ Golf Classic

Tournament Registration:

Sponsor a Hole!

SPONSORS

PRESENTATIONS

Available for Download

PHOTOS

Photos are now available for complimentary viewing and download!

WHAT IS CONNECTIONS?

WHAT OUR ATTENDEES ARE SAYING

SPEAKERS

Monday Keynote

LEADERSHIP SERIES

SPEAKERS

AGENDA

24

Monday

25

Tuesday

26

Wednesday

VENUE

The Broadmoor

HOTELS & TRANSPORTATION

The Broadmoor

The Mining Exchange A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa

Getting There

Parking

GOLF

2024 SMC³ Golf Classic

Tournament Registration:

Sponsor a Hole!

SPONSORS

Diamond

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Benefactors

Media Partners

PRESENTATIONS

Available for Download

PHOTOS

Photos are now available for complimentary viewing and download!

The Mining Exchange
A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa