FreightWeekSTL — Delivering Global Access. St. Louis, Missouri. May 13–17, 2024

Registration Now Open for FreightWeekSTL 2024!

FreightWeekSTL 2024 is set for May 13 through May 17. This year’s lineup will feature engaging panel discussions, insightful interviews and other offerings that highlight the unique role the St. Louis region plays in advancing major infrastructure projects and addressing global supply chain disruption, while also spotlighting some of the latest innovations and trends impacting freight movement. The majority of the panel sessions will be available virtually, but this year will also feature three terrific opportunities for in-person connections: A Riverboat Cruise featuring the Ag Coast of America, the Freight Summit Luncheon, and new this year, a Tailgate Happy Hour before a St. Louis City SC home soccer game, sponsored by the Transportation Club of St. Louis.

The 7th consecutive FreightWeekSTL will welcome attendance by freight and logistics experts; economic development, real estate development and transportation professionals; regional leaders from across the bi-state St. Louis area, and other forward thinkers from the public and private sector who are interested in the content being shared and eager to network and collaborate. We hope you can participate.

To check out last year’s content, visit FreightWeekSTL.com/2023

FreightWeekSTL 2024 Schedule

All sessions will be offered virtually unless otherwise noted.

Monday, May 13 9 a.m.–10 a.m. Innovations Gain Momentum

Learn about the latest advances with some of the new technology we featured in 2023. This panel will bring back St. Louis startup Intramotev. It has made tremendous progress over the past year, deploying the first of its battery electric self-propelled rail cars at a customer site, where we can start to see how the technology the company is developing has the potential to make the U.S. rail system more efficient and sustainable. The panel also will feature updates on St. Louis-based UNCOMN‘s partnership with the Port of Long Beach to create a supply chain information highway that is capturing the attention of beneficial cargo owners due to its ability to access, analyze and integrate data from freight moving through the nation’s largest ports in a way that helps improve in-transit visibility. Israeli-based DockTech will return to highlight advances made in the deployment of the company’s “Digital Twin” technology that creates a virtual representation of the seabed of ports and waterways providing valuable insight for a variety of maritime stakeholders to help improve freight movement through the global port system.

Featuring:

  • Jason Carter, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, UNCOMN
  • Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer, Port of Long Beach
  • Corey Vasel, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Intramotev
  • Uri Yoselevich, Founder & CEO, DockTech

Monday, May 13 10 a.m.–11 a.m. Elevating Supply Chain Visibility

St. Louis-based Sheer Logistics has created new technology that is helping to improve supply chain visibility and efficiency across the country. Hear more about Sheer Logistics’ 4PL/managed transportation services and how mid-market shippers are using the company’s award-winning tech-enabled logistics solutions to analyze CO2 emissions, manage freight costs and track freight all in one place, allowing them to generate meaningful and actionable business reporting and intelligence.

Featuring:

  • Rob Cook, Chief Technology Officer, Sheer Logistics

Tuesday, May 14 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. Collaboration and Investment Produce Cargo Growth

Learn more about investments being made in ports located along the Mississippi River and Missouri River waterways and how advancements at the Port of New Orleans are positively impacting ports in the St. Louis region and Kansas City. Find out how these investments and the connectivity and collaboration between the three regions will help support continued growth in both traditional barge traffic and container-on-barge services and intermodal operations in the Ag Coast of America by helping to connect the dots between manufacturers, growers, markets and shippers.

Featuring:

  • Brandy Christian, President & CEO, Port of New Orleans
  • Dennis Wilmsmeyer, Executive Director, America’s Central Port
  • Jon Stephens, President and CEO, Port KC

Tuesday, May 14 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Ag Coast of America Riverboat Cruise (In‑Person Event)

Hosted by the St. Louis Regional Freightway, this popular cruise will highlight key freight assets and opportunities that position the St. Louis region as a thriving freight and logistics hub with global access. This curated tour will provide an up-close look at critical elements of the region’s multimodal freight network, including roads and bridges; rail and barge facilities; multimodal freight transfer services; and the ports and infrastructure that have made this section of the Mississippi River the Ag Coast of America. Light refreshments and lunch options will be available for purchase. During registration, attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase a riverboat cruise ticket for a college or high school student interested in a career in manufacturing, logistics or a related career field.

Narration by:

  • Susan Taylor, Port Director, St. Louis Development Corporation

Tuesday, May 14 1 p.m.–2 p.m. Trends Impacting Agriculture and the Barge Industry

Within the supply chain industry, many factors can impact global cargo production and freight movement, including water levels, infrastructure investment, global challenges and crop production. In this session, participants will learn more about the agriculture and barge industry trends and future outlook for this year and how those might impact the movement of ag freight moving through the St. Louis region.

Featuring:

  • Ken Eriksen, Managing Member and Strategic Advisor, Polaris Analytics & Consulting

Wednesday, May 15 11 a.m.–1 p.m. 2024 Freight Summit Luncheon (In‑Person Event)

Don’t miss this opportunity to gather again in person for the Freight Summit featuring a keynote conversation with Shayne Gill on Infrastructure Investment as an Economic Driver. The keynote conversation will highlight the significance of the infrastructure investment occurring in the St. Louis region and the impact it has on the regional and national freight network, while spotlighting the work being done to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.

The event will also feature the release of the 2025 Priority Projects List, a valuable tool used to advocate for support and funding for critical infrastructure improvements that strengthen the St. Louis region’s position as a world-class freight and logistics hub for national and global supply chains, with associated remarks by representatives of both the Illinois and Missouri Departments of Transportation.

This event will be held at the Bi-State Development Headquarters Office in downtown St. Louis.

Featuring:

  • Shayne Gill, Program Director for Multimodal Transportation, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials  (Keynote speaker)
  • Tom Evers, Assistant District Engineer, Missouri Department of Transportation
  • Kirk Brown, Region Five Engineer, Illinois Department of Transportation

Wednesday, May 15 4:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. Tailgate Happy Hour & MLS Soccer Game (In‑Person Event)

New for FreightWeekSTL 2024 is the opportunity to join in the fun for a Tailgate Happy Hour in downtown St. Louis prior to St. Louis City SC’s MLS soccer game against the Los Angeles Football Club. There are a limited number of tickets to the game available for purchase. Both events will provide an excellent opportunity to network with others participating in the weeklong FreightWeekSTL.

Soda, water, beer, seltzers, brats, hot dogs, and other food items will be available at the Tailgate Happy Hour, which is sponsored by the Transportation Club of St. Louis. Those interested have the option to purchase tickets to the Tailgate Happy Hour only (4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.), or purchase a ticket to attend both the Happy Hour and the soccer game (7:30 p.m. kickoff).

Thursday, May 16 9 a.m.–10 a.m. Securing Global Supply Chains

Recent ongoing conflict in the Red Sea area, Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, cyberattacks in supply chains, low water levels in the Panama Canal, rising trade tensions with China, and other geopolitical incidents of the last two years have resulted in global supply chains facing unprecedented challenges. Shippers have had to work to reroute vessels and navigate transit interruptions and delays. Supply chain managers must look to carefully assess new risks in their chains. Learn about the greatest risks impacting the ability of American companies to access suppliers and manage the logistics of matching supply with demand, and how the St. Louis region is playing a part in helping to address these latest supply chain disruptions.

Featuring:

  • Panos Kouvelis, Emerson Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain, Operations, and Technology at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, and Director of the Boeing Center for Supply Chain Innovation

Thursday, May 16 10 a.m.–11 a.m. Charting the Course for Logistics

The session will feature updates from representatives of the St. Louis region’s world-class multimodal freight network and the barge industry who will discuss the latest trends in freight movement through the region by rail, river, roads and runways and highlight the tremendous optionality for shippers that exists in the bi-state area.

Featuring:

  • Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Director, St. Louis Lambert International Airport
  • Brent Wood, President, Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis
  • Brad Reinhardt, President, WEL St. Louis
  • Martin T. Hettel, Vice President Government Affairs, American Commercial Barge Line

Friday, May 17 9 a.m. 2024 Industrial Real Estate Market Report

Digital release of the latest Industrial Market Report for the St. Louis region, which highlights the latest market fundamentals, recent trends in construction and development, and the current labor figures that demonstrate readiness to meet the workforce needs of the bi-state St. Louis region’s robust supply chain logistics, distribution and manufacturing industries. Targeted industries that are key drivers of the region’s economy will be spotlighted.

Friday, May 17 10 a.m.–11 a.m. Careers from the Shop Floor to the C-Suite

This session will focus on the tremendous workforce opportunities that exist within the logistics and manufacturing sectors in the St. Louis region. Learn more about the collaborations underway to grow the region’s workforce and the partnerships being forged to attract high school and college students to fill in-demand positions in these growing sectors in the near future, while building a pipeline of workers to meet future needs with an additional 1,000+ jobs being added over the next several years.

Featuring:

  • Tony Ray, Vice President and General Manager St. Louis Completions, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
  • Jill Bracy, Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Supply Chain & Analytics at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Acting Director of the Supply Chain Risk & Resilience Research Institute
  • Tom McGovern, Dean of STEM, St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley Campus
  • Tony Fuhrmann, Director of Employment and Training, Madison County
  • Brian Mentzer, Superintendent, Belleville Township High School District 201

Sponsorship Opportunities

FreightWeekSTL attracted solid attendance last year and significant social media interest and interactions, along with widespread media coverage. This year’s event promises to build on that success. Please consider supporting FreightWeekSTL 2024 as a sponsor!

Full details about sponsorship are available here. For any questions about FreightWeekSTL 2024, please email me at [email protected].

We appreciate your support and look forward to connecting with you in May!

Mary Lamie portrait

Mary C. Lamie, P.E.
Executive Vice President – Multimodal Enterprises

Bi-State Development
211 North Broadway, Suite 700
St. Louis, MO 63102
Connect with me on LinkedIn
314-982-1562
[email protected]
TheFreightway.com

Presenting Sponsors

Illinois Railroad Association
Ameren Illinois
Steadfast City

Supporting Sponsors

HNTB
Hauser Group – Public Relations
The Boeing Center – Olin Business School at Washington University
The Jerry Costello Group
Design Nine – Engineering Services for Railroads and Industry
Contegra logo

Associate Sponsors

ASCM – Midwest Gateway Chapter
CMT - Engineers and Consultants
SIBA / SICAP
Terracon – Explore with us

Thank You:

Riverboats at the Gateway Arch Logo