2024 promises to be a significant year for the procurement sector, as the discipline takes centre stage in the enterprise decision-making process. However, increasing importance for procurement departments means new challenges, as organisations increasingly look to procurement to not only cut costs but drive sustainability, digital transformation, and supply chain resilience.
For those looking to stay abreast of the fast-moving procurement landscape, events provide opportunities for networking, learning, and experiencing the latest procurement solutions and products first hand. That’s why we have gathered our top five unmissable procurement industry events for 2024.
5. ProcureCon Indirect East
- When: September 9-11
- Where: Orlando, Florida
- Projected Attendance: 500+
For more than 20 years, ProcureCon has been hosting industry events with a peer-to-peer structure and focus. Billed as a conference “by practitioners, for practitioners”, ProcureCon Indirect East is a networking and education focused event “whether you’re a CPO or a rising star, a large or small spend company”. In addition to featuring the insights of procurement innovators and professionals “in the trenches” as well as the C-Suite, ProcureCon Indirect East also emphasises interactive events, with more than 30 hours of discussion groups, workshops, panels, roundtables, and social networking opportunities throughout the event.
Past speakers include Google’s Senior Procurement Director, Aleck Matambo, and Rod Jahromi, head of COrporate Procurement at ExxonMobil.
4. Procurement Summit 2024
- When: June 12-13
- Where: Hamburg, Germany
- Projected Attendance: 1,600+
Returning for the seventh year, Procurement Summit 2024 promises to continue the event’s legacy of being the premier gathering of procurement professionals in Germany. The two-day event will see a gathering of the leading minds in the German procurement sector, as well as experts and professionals from throughout Europe and beyond. Speakers from Roche, Merz Pharma, Zalando, Mars, and many more of Germany’s leading brands will lead keynotes, panel discussions, and workshops with applicable expertise.
In addition to attracting seasoned veterans of the industry, Procurement Summit also has a reputation for attracting younger experts. These newer members of the industry, according to Susanne Vorberg, Senior Manager of Digital Transformation at Airbus, “are driving forward innovations in their companies”. This, she says, makes for “a wonderful and inspiring mix.”
3. Americas Procurement Congress 2024
- When: March 25-27
- Where: Miami, Florida
- Projected Attendance: 400+
Setting its sights firmly on 2030, this year’s agenda at the America’s Procurement Congress event focuses on answering the question “how do we get the next six years right?” The event has assembled a host of industry experts, scientists, and media luminaries. Over the three-day conference, they will tackle issues ranging from the climate crisis to the rise of AI. The goal of the conference is focused onachieving a future of sustainable growth.
The event is hosted by Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, CEO and publisher of MIT Technology Review, and features expert speakers from across the procurement sector, including Karla Jackson, Senior Procurement Executive, Chief Acquisition Officer & Assistant Administrator for the Office of Procurement at NASA; Vitold Horodecki, CPO and VP Americas at CapGemini; and Patricia Miller, Interim CPO at Accenture.
2. ProcureCon Asia
- When: July 9-11
- Where: Sentosa, Singapore
- Projected Attendance: 200+
Bringing together the leading regional experts in procurement and supply chain management throughout APAC, ProcureCon Asia offers attendees access to expert speakers, interactive case studies, streams, new industry research, and networking time.
While most events focus either on direct or indirect procurement, ProcureCon Asia caters to both direct and indirect/services procurement professionals. The event organisers pride themselves on providing unmatched access to diverse perspectives from executive speakers representing a broad range of Fortune 1000 companies from the aerospace, hi-tech, industrial manufacturing, CPG, automotive, and pharmaceutical sectors. Previous speakers have included high level procurement executives from JLL, Standard Chartered Bank, Air Liquide, Accenture, FGV Holdings, and DHL Group.
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1. World Procurement Congress
- When: May 14-16
- Where: London, UK
- Projected Attendance: 800+
The World Procurement Congress has played host to more than 1,100 Chief Procurement Officers over the course of its history. Heading into its 18th year, the event is firmly established as one of the industry’s must-attend functions. The three-day conference blends content, networking, and social interaction opportunities centred around the theme of Horizon 2030. Taking a global view of the decade to come, World Procurement Congress 2024 aims to address the current pain points facing procurement professionals, and how to translate these challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth throughout the remainder of the decade.
Speakers at this year’s event are drawn from the highest levels of procurement teams across a diverse swathe of industries, including Dan Bartel, CPO at Schneider Electric; Anna Spinelli, CPO & Head of Mobility at the DHL Group; Anu Saxena, President & Global Head of Hilton Supply Management; and Adam Weisswasser, CPPO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Along with hundreds of other experts and thought leaders, they will provide guidance and insight into the event’s five key themes for discussion: ESG, Partnerships, Resilience, Digitalisation, and Macroeconomics.
