ISM World 2026 Notebook: Social Media Standouts Take Stage

On the last day of an Institute for Supply Management^® (ISM^®) Annual Conference, Inside Supply Management^® traditionally turns over part of its coverage to attendees, session presenters and exhibitors by highlighting some of the best social media posts.

After all, what better way to generate FOMO vibes than citing the first-person experiences of those enjoying their learning and networking experiences? Also, seeing the smiles and senses of humor — as well as the genuine sense of community — among attendees is always one of the best things about an ISM event.

There were LinkedIn posts aplenty during the three days of ISM World 2026 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado. So, friends, take it away.

60 Seconds With … Reflection Connection

One of the thought-exchange hubs in the Innovation Park at ISM World 2026 is the Reflection Connection, created by ISM and Projectory, a data-based networking and event-management company.

Attendees were invited to respond to questions on cards and attach them to a wall, creating a repository of reactions to and recommendations based on content at the Conference. Here is a small sample of responses.

Most interesting thing I heard: How important human connection and community is to living a healthy life. This Conference is such a great way to connect in person.

The biggest question on my mind: How do you lead a team to maintain motivational productivity (not fear), as they adapt to higher performance expectations, localization changes and integrating AI?

Most important thing still unsaid: How do we maintain relationships as we incorporate AI? Sometimes the human touch cannot be replaced.

Something that challenged my perspective: People are at the heart of progress. If people are too tired to change, they won’t.

I wish ISM could: Help me to mitigate the anxiety that comes with knowledge.

Something that challenged my perspective: Authenticity matters! As (keynote speaker) Kara Swisher said, “Smart people like smart questions.” Engage fully and maximize your connections to achieve the greatest lesson.

Quote of the Day

“In one of our most daunting and discouraging findings, how happy people are working in procurement in their organization is at a seven-year low. I’m not talking about working in procurement in general. We thought COVID-19 took out a lot of the passion and joy, but it has kept going down. … We see a strong effect here: Those firms with a high Net Promoter Score, where people are satisfied working there, are outperforming competitors. If you want a high-performance organization, make sure people enjoy working there.” — Christoph Bode, Ph.D., University of Mannheim professor, during “The State of the Procurement Profession 2026: Key Insights and Takeaways” session

Extra Points

• The long hours of hard work put in by the team from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, paid off: The all-female foursome won the ISM International Student Case Competition. Rutgers University placed second, DePaul University third and Maastricht University in the Netherlands fourth. “These are brilliant individuals,” said Jim Fleming, CPSM, CPSD, Innovation and Product Development Manager at ISM. “They are the future leaders of the profession, and they bring a unique perspective to challenges.”
• ISM World 2026 became a game show for one session on Tuesday during “Supply Chain Showdown: Real-World Scenarios Meet Competitive Strategy.” In the session geared toward emerging professionals, attendees were giving four disruption scenarios for the airline, pharmaceutical, automotive and aerospace industries, with less than five minutes to make a decision, sometimes with limited information. “We wanted them to think like supply chain leaders under pressure,” said Justin Hyrb, one of the four session presenters and principal consultant at Proxima Group. “It was high-energy, great engagement. We’re looking to do it again next year.”
• The ISM World 2027 Annual Conference will be held on May 16-18 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C., Conference emcee Kelly Wallace announced during the Closing General Session.

Postcard from the Conference

When I started at ISM in 2015, a wall in the office was adorned with framed photos of past presidents, Board of Directors chairs and other dignitaries from the association’s century-long history. Though the few years before I joined ISM were missing, the commonality, to put it mildly, was not subtle — almost all white men, and the exceptions probably could have been counted on one hand.

In Denver, the biggest on-stage stars — among them, the host executive (Interim ISM CEO Debbie-Fogel Monnissen), emcee (Kelly Wallace), keynote speaker (Kara Swisher) and J. Shipman Gold Medal Award winner (Farryn Melton) — are women, as are the overwhelming majority of those behind the scenes that made the event one to remember.

The ISM International Student Case Competition winning team from the University of Michigan is made up of four women of color. And the discussion among Shipman Award winners at the Closing General Session on Tuesday evidenced the strength of diversity, with panelists Melton, Susan Spence, MBA, and Craig Reed, MBA, CPSM.

That this is refreshing and a positive sign for the future of ISM and the supply management profession cannot be emphasized enough. — Dan Zeiger