ProMat 2023
- Date
- 2023-03-20
- Location
- McCormick Place, Chicago, United States
- Host
- MODEX (MHI)
About this event
ProMat 2023 is where the full scale of modern supply chain innovation comes into view. If you work in robotics, warehouse operations, manufacturing, or material handling, this is the kind of event that lets you compare technologies side by side, spot real shifts in the market, and have the conversations that are hard to replicate anywhere else. With more than 50,000 registered professionals, 1,000+ exhibitors, and over 500,000 square feet of show floor, ProMat is built for serious exploration. It is not a niche meetup or a small product showcase. It is a major industry gathering in Chicago that brings together the people building, buying, deploying, and evaluating the systems shaping supply chains today. About the Event ProMat 2023 is MHI's biennial trade show focused on supply chain, material handling, manufacturing, and warehouse technology. The event is designed as a large in-person industry marketplace where attendees can see equipment, software, automation, and robotics solutions in one place and evaluate how those tools fit into real operational environments. This is especially relevant for teams working across warehouse robotics, supply chain tech, and manufacturing operations. Rather than reading about trends in isolation, attendees can move from one exhibitor to the next, compare approaches, ask technical questions, and understand how different systems connect across fulfillment, storage, movement, visibility, and throughput. Because of its scale, ProMat also serves multiple purposes at once. For some attendees, it is a sourcing and discovery event. For others, it is a strategic market scan: a chance to understand where investment is going, what categories are maturing, and how suppliers are positioning themselves around efficiency, resilience, labor challenges, and automation. It is also a useful meeting ground for cross-functional teams. Operations leaders, engineers, procurement stakeholders, technology buyers, and solution providers can all find value here, because the event sits at the intersection of physical systems and digital infrastructure. What to Expect Expect a high-density trade show environment with a massive exhibition floor and a broad mix of companies showcasing technologies across the supply chain and material handling ecosystem. With 1,000+ exhibitors participating, the event offers substantial range, from robotics and warehouse systems to manufacturing-adjacent tools and broader supply chain technologies. The biggest draw is the ability to see products and platforms in context. In a market where capabilities can sound similar on paper, in-person evaluation matters. ProMat gives attendees a more direct view of how vendors present their solutions, what problems they are actually solving, and how mature their offerings appear when compared side by side. You can generally expect the event experience to include: A large-scale expo floor with extensive exhibitor booths and product showcases Opportunities to explore warehouse robotics and automation solutions in person Conversations with vendors, operators, and industry professionals across supply chain and manufacturing A practical environment for comparing technologies, workflows, and implementation approaches Strong networking potential simply because of the size and concentration of professionals attending Given the event's scale, planning your time matters. Many attendees come in with specific categories to evaluate, companies to meet, or market segments to explore. Others leave room for discovery and use the floor to identify adjacent tools they were not originally considering. Both approaches work well here, but ProMat rewards focus. Why Attend The clearest reason to attend is efficiency. In a single event, you can cover a huge portion of the supply chain and warehouse technology landscape without relying on scattered sales calls, separate demos, or fragmented online research. That can make ProMat especially valuable if you are actively evaluating solutions or mapping the vendor landscape for future projects. For robotics and warehouse automation professionals, the value is even more practical. You can assess how companies are framing use cases, where they fit in the operational stack, and how the market is evolving around deployment, flexibility, and integration. Seeing that in person often surfaces details that are easy to miss in slide decks or marketing copy. Attendees often come for a few specific reasons: To identify vendors worth deeper follow-up after the event To compare competing technologies in a compressed timeframe To understand broader supply chain and manufacturing trends influencing investment decisions To gather ideas for improving throughput, labor utilization, storage, movement, and operational visibility To build relationships with peers, suppliers, and solution providers in the same ecosystem There is also a strategic advantage to being present at a major biennial event. Markets move quickly, but large trade shows reveal what companies are prioritizing publicly, how categories are converging, and which solutions are attracting attention. If your role involves planning, buying, building, or advising, that signal is useful. Practical Details Location: In person at McCormick Place, Chicago, United States. McCormick Place is a fitting venue for an event of this size, and the in-person format is central to the experience. ProMat is best approached as a walk-the-floor event, where physical presence helps you evaluate equipment, technology, and exhibitors more effectively than remote research alone. When: Monday, March 20 at 12:00 AM UTC. Because this is a major in-person trade show, it is worth preparing in advance. Review the exhibitor list if available, identify the categories most relevant to your work, and think about the conversations you want to have. At an event this large, a little planning can make the difference between a broad overview and a highly productive visit. A few useful ways to prepare: Prioritize the technologies or vendors you most want to assess Block time for both scheduled meetings and open-floor exploration Bring specific operational questions if you are evaluating solutions for a live project Wear comfortable shoes and expect substantial walking across the show floor Leave space for serendipity, because some of the best discoveries happen outside the original plan If your work touches robotics, warehouses, manufacturing, or supply chain operations, ProMat 2023 is a strong place to get sharper on the market. It gives you scale, direct access, and a concentrated view of where the industry is heading.
Who should attend
If your work touches how products move, get stored, picked, packed, or shipped, this is a strong place to be. - **You run warehouse or distribution operations** and want practical ideas you can bring back to your facility, from layout and throughput improvements to automation strategies that fit real operational constraints. - **You lead supply chain, logistics, or fulfillment teams** and need a clearer view of the technologies shaping resilience, labor efficiency, visibility, and speed across the network. - **You evaluate robotics, material handling, or warehouse tech** and want to compare a large cross-section of vendors in one place instead of piecing together scattered demos and sales calls. - **You work in manufacturing, packaging, or industrial engineering** and need to understand how upstream and downstream systems connect across production, storage, and distribution. - **You are a founder, investor, consultant, or solutions partner in supply chain tech** and want a concentrated look at market demand, buyer priorities, and the broader ecosystem. - **You are responsible for capital planning or transformation initiatives** and need exposure to both established players and emerging approaches before making long-term decisions.