Steel Products
2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference Update – 72 Days to Go
Written by John Packard
June 3, 2021
The 2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference will be the first major steel conference to be held in person since the pandemic shut down all events across the world. Our conference will begin at 9 a.m. ET with our Pre-Summit Programs on Monday, Aug. 23. The official opening of the conference will be at 1 p.m. ET on the 23rd followed by a keynote from Michael Smerconish of CNN/Sirius Radio. Then Timna Tanners of Bank of America and Josh Spoores of CRU will provide their steel forecasts, followed by a one-on-one fireside chat between John Packard of SMU and Lourenco Goncalves of Cleveland-Cliffs. We will cap off the first day with a networking cocktail party for all attendees as we celebrate the steel industry and being able to interact with one another.
Over the next two days we will have a keynote address from Dr. Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics; one-on-one fireside chats with Leon Topalian, CEO of Nucor, and Mark Millett, CEO of Steel Dynamics; discussions on scrap, transportation issues, international trade, decarbonization, electric automobiles and what that all means for the steel market; industry forecasts for construction/energy/automotive; our NexGen Leadership Award presentation; a manufacturing segment, and much more.
You can learn more about our program and speakers by clicking here.
2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference Will Be a “Hybrid” Event
There is nothing better than attending the SMU Steel Summit Conference in person. However, if you are unable to travel to this year’s conference, we do have an option for you. We will be “live-streaming” the event through our virtual platform. You will be able to view who has registered for the event and interact with them (via email unless they are on the platform as well). Should you miss a presentation, a recording will be available to you through the platform.
Those of you who are attending the event in person will also be able to access our virtual platform. This is where you will be able to view the list of attendees, our agenda, speaker profiles and get access to presentation slides. Live attendees will no longer miss a presentation as they will be recorded and available on the platform.
You can register for either the live event or virtual option by clicking here.
Please note: If you register for either the live or virtual and you wish to make a change, you will be able to do so. For example, if you register for the virtual option because you are unable to travel and then whatever restrictions you have are removed, you can move over to the live event. Just let us know of your new plans in advance of arriving in Atlanta.
Hotel Update
The hotels close to the convention center are filling up. The Atlanta Airport Renaissance Gateway Hotel and the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Hotel are both sold out. There are two other Marriott properties in the Gateway complex, the SpringHill Suites at Atlanta Airport Gateway, and the AC Hotel at Atlanta Airport Gateway. I have linked to both of their websites if you would like to make a reservation. Please note, we do not have a room block this year.
Registration Update
Registrations for the 2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference are passing through 500+ executives. The following companies registered over the past few days (those with an * means multiple individuals from that company are attending): CEMCO*, Emerson Electric Co.*, Fabricators Supply, Hannibal Industries, Janus International Group, LLC, Merit USA, Midwest Pipe & Steel, Inc.*, Nucor Raw Materials*, O’Neal Steel, and Ternium Mexico, S.A. de C.V.* We also had the following companies add more people this week: CSN*, Plateplus, Inc.*, and Precoat Metals*. You can see a listing of all the companies registered by clicking here.
You can join the companies just noted along with hundreds of others by registering for the conference, which you can do by clicking here or you can go to: https://www.events.crugroup.com/smusteelsummit/register

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products

Market says cutting interest rates will spur stalled domestic plate demand
Market sources say demand for domestic plate refuses to budge despite stagnating prices.

U.S. Steel to halt slab conversion at Granite City Works
U.S. Steel said it plans to reduce slab consumption at its Granite City Works near St. Louis, a company spokesperson said on Monday. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker will shift the production and processing of steel slabs to its Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh and its Gary Works near Chicago. Citing a United Steelworkers (USW) union memo, […]

SMU Week in Review: September 1-5
Here are highlights of what’s happened this past week and a few upcoming things to keep an eye on.

HR Futures: Market finds footing on supply-side mechanics
As Labor Day marks the transition into fall, the steel market enters September with a similar sense of change. Supply-side fundamentals are beginning to show signs of restraint: imports are limited, outages loom, and production is capped, setting the stage for a market that feels steady on the surface but still unsettled underneath.

Beige Book: US markets remain cautious amidst volatile pricing environment
Sluggish economic activity across the US was largely attributed to uncertainty caused by tariff policies and growing cost pressures, according to the US Federal Reserve’s (The Fed) latest Beige Book report. The Fed’s latest economic report, posted on Sept. 3, consists of economic findings from the six weeks preceding Aug. 25 throughout 12 districts. Economic […]