‘Ascend’ to New Heights at ISM World 2026
Institute for Supply Management®’s (ISM®) Annual Conference is a “don’t miss” event for procurement and supply chain professionals.
This year’s event, ISM World 2026, the 110th Annual Conference, is April 26-28 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Conference Center in Denver. With a theme of “Ascend,” the Conference features a variety of sessions on such topics as AI deployment, negotiation, workplace culture, leadership, the semiconductor and automotive industries, brand management, supply chain trends and more.
Other features include networking opportunities, the International Student Case Competition, and the ISM Awards Gala, where winners of ISM’s various awards competition, including the J. Shipman Gold Medal Award winner and the ISM 30 Under 30 Rising Supply Chain Stars, will be announced. Attendees also can visit the Expo, where they can learn about new products and solutions, join in interactive experiences at the Innovation Park, and more.
The keynote speaker is a well-known authority on AI: Kara Swisher. The New York Times best-selling author, host of the “On with Kara Swisher” and “Pivot” podcasts, will discuss the unprecedented speed of technological change, including AI. Swisher, the co-founder of the technology website Recode and tech conference Code, will talk about the real-world impact of generative AI on business strategy and the global supply chain.
Debbie Fogel-Monnissen, interim ISM CEO, calls AI, which is an underlying theme of the Conference, “a fundamental pivot” for the profession.
“We see the profession moving from reactive firefighting to a future defined by autonomous processes and predictive risk mitigation,” she says. “(This) allows organizations to navigate complexity and prioritize strategy and value creation.”
ISM World 2026 provides the insights and peer networks necessary to stay ahead, Fogel-Monnissen says. “It’s where supply management leaders gather to master global trends, celebrate their peers and collective impact, and build the connections that drive career and organizational growth,” she says.
Among the scheduled sessions and workshops:
- “Building the Next Generation of Talent for the Human-AI Era.” What type of skills will employees need? How can companies build leaders? Presented by Allison Silveus, training program manager, and Rebecca Johnson, CPSM, senior director — strategic sourcing at Intuitive.
- “Data Makes You Dangerous: Procuring Transportation Services in Troubling Times.” Learn how to leverage transportation data to uncover opportunities, spot market shifts and make smarter sourcing decisions. Presented by David Correll, director of freight market intelligence at Telegraph.
- “Unlock Your Leadership Quotient.” How can your leadership quotient transform the way you lead? Presented by Olaf Kreichgauer, founder and CEO, at Lucendo Leadership Inc.
- “Where Did My Leverage Go? Rebuilding Negotiation Power in the SaaS + AI Era.” Learn how to shift from legacy negotiation playbooks to strategies that reflect today’s digital and data-driven landscape. Presented by David Johnson, senior director global sourcing at NewsCorp.
- “From Data to Decisions: Leveraging Industry 4.0 and AI to Transform Supply Chain Agility.” Learn how using AI-driven analysis can aid in cost savings and build resilience. Presented by Devayani Borse, supply chain program manager at Google.
- “Powering the Future: The State of the Semiconductor Ecosystem.” Gain practical insights into emerging technologies, strategic opportunities and actionable approaches to mitigate risk and build resilience during an interactive panel discussion. Led by Kee Chang, senior vice president and CPO at Qualcomm.
The Conference emcee is Kelly Wallace, chief media/brand officer at Southlake, Texas-based TrailRunner International, where she leads the firm’s work training C-suite executives.
For more information, visit ismworld.org/conference.
(Photo credit: Getty Images/Kathy Kafka)