Practitioners, educators, carriers, consultants, students, and more ... just about anyone, in fact, who's involved in supply chain management will converge on sunny San Diego, California, September 26–29, for CSCMP's 2010 Annual Global Conference. We hope you'll be among the thousands of professionals from around the world who'll gather there to learn about the latest developments and to discover new tactics, strategies, and best practices for managing their supply chains. Our annual conference will also offer an invaluable forum for sharing experiences and perspectives with peers, meeting up with former colleagues, and making new acquaintances.

As always, the Annual Global Conference will focus on opportunities to further your professional expertise. You'll be able to choose from more than 100 educational sessions covering such topics as logistics, warehousing, inventory management and demand planning, supply chain integration, global sourcing, risk management, and aligning supply chains with business strategy, to name just a few.

You'll also have opportunities to hear the results of exclusive research on supply chain trends and technologies, and to learn from your peers during our Share Groups education track. And you'll want to make the most of numerous networking opportunities, including the Student Showcase and receptions and luncheons featuring world-class California cuisine.

This year, we'll debut a new event at the annual conference. The "Supply Chain of the Future" will be a fully integrated, functional supply chain lab that will take attendees into a world of innovative automation and new technologies—everything from product design and development to manufacturing and material handling to fulfillment and reverse logistics. The exhibit is designed to give attendees a first-hand look at technologies, processes, and solutions for high-performing supply chains and offer a look at future enhancements.

With travel budgets tight, you might be wondering whether you can afford to attend CSCMP'sGlobal Conference. As this year's conference motto—"You need to be here!"—suggests, we think you can't afford not to. Professional education and networking are the cornerstones of continuous improvement, job retention, and professional growth. Conference attendees will take real-world solutions and innovative ideas back home and implement them, driving improvements that will benefit not just their supply chains but their companies as a whole. In short, keeping current on supply chain and logistics trends and expanding your professional network is critical to your company's bottom line.

So grab your sunscreen, bring your supply chain questions, and join us at the San Diego Convention Center, September 26 through 29, 2010. I look forward to seeing you there!