Steel Products

Update on 2020 SMU Steel Summit Conference

January 13, 2020

An update on the 2020 SMU Steel Summit Conference. My team has been very active in soliciting and confirming agenda slots and speakers to go with those spots. Today we confirmed CNN’s Michael Smerconish as a special keynote speaker on Wednesday, Aug. 26. He will be covering the Republican National Convention (which is happening at the same time as our conference) and will be traveling to Atlanta straight from the convention, and then he will return right after his talk to our group. I enjoy Smerconish as he tends to be level-headed and not prone to take a right or left position. With the election looming a few months after our conference, politics will play in any forecast being made for 2021 and beyond.

I have also been working very hard on the expansion to the Wednesday afternoon program. On Wednesday afternoon, after Smerconish speaks, we will provide a program we feel is critical for manufacturing, distribution, steel mills and related companies. How do you attract, train and maintain young people in your company? Some of the answers may surprise you. I am finalizing the keynote speaker who will begin this segment, and I will have more on this program in the weeks to come. Plan on staying until 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon – book your return flight after 5 p.m. – you won’t regret it.

Steel Summit I asked the individuals with whom I spoke today who they would like to see speak at this year’s conference. A few of them mentioned names where I have invitations pending–U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt and Nucor’s new CEO Leon J. Topalian. If you are in contact with either U.S. Steel or Nucor, please mention to them that you would like to see their CEO at this year’s conference!

If you have a speaker or a specific segment you think needs to be covered at the 2020 conference, please feel free to send me a note: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com

We will be the best attended steel conference of our kind in North America. We anticipate close to 1,200 executives at this year’s event. Remember, SMU and CRU members get discounts, as do companies sending more than one person to the conference.

Registration for the 2020 SMU Steel Summit is open. Click on the link just given or go to www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/events/steel-summit for more details, and to review of list of the companies who attended last year.

As always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.

John Packard, President & CEO