This was the first Emerging Leaders Conference since HARDI sent off the inaugural graduating class from the Emerging Leaders program in January.

“Every year since its inception, the emerging leaders summer conference is a don't-want-to-miss event, and this year's conference in Louisville was no exception,” said Brad Telker of cfm Distributors. “The content was great, the speakers were top-notch, and it's always awe-inspiring to meet and spend time with some of the industry's top CEOs, presidents and senior level VPs. This conference is no doubt worth the price of admission.”

This year’s conference had 92 attendees with nine mentors, and roughly a third of the attendees were first-timers.

“It is very gratifying to be able to be part of the Emerging Leaders program,” said Richard Cook, president of Johnson Supply and a mentor at the conference. “It gives me confidence that the next generation is preparing themselves for success in the future.”

“Every year, HARDI’s Emerging Leaders program provides me an opportunity to not only network with fellow young professionals, but to think outside my comfort zone regarding industry leadership,” said Danielle Galian, editor of The Wholesaler. “The quality of the speakers and content is truly the best, and I always feel ready to lead after attending!”

Brent Grover of Evergreen Consulting led a strategic planning workshop, and University of Louisville professor of industrial engineering gave an electrifying presentation about the future of the warehousing industry titled “Robots Riding Drones through Augmented Reality.” Attendees also conducted a group skill-building activity with Versagility, and then capped off the conference with a Princess River Cruise sponsored by Hardcast.

“This year’s Emerging Leaders Conference went excellently,” said HARDI Manager of Training and HR Solutions Nick Benton. “The mentor sessions are always the cornerstone of this event. Mentors volunteer their time to participate, and this year I think it solidified its status as a tradition. We had a big group of new faces this year, so this program is only going to get bigger and better.”