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2024 AGENDA

 
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07:30 - 18:00

630 Minutes

Registration open

GICC South Lobby Sponsored by

08:00 - 16:30

510 Minutes

All-Day Beverages

Sponsored by

08:30 - 09:15

45 Minutes

Breakfast Roundtable Workshop - Automation, E-commerce and More: Industry Innovation for Tech-Driven Growth

Sponsored by

Join this powerful panel discussion over breakfast as they share their insights and experience on implementing new tech in the metal industry.  

 

Learn how to overcome tech challenges and ensure effective change management from Stephen Armstrong’s experience with their e-commerce product, PRONTO (R). Edwin Stanley will share his strategies to prepare for and tackle technological advancements, sharing best practices from his success in automating and growing his businesses. Wes Spencer will discuss how industry learnings and pain points are shaping the future of both Stella Source and SecturaFAB, a quoting and estimating product under the Stella Source umbrella.   

 

Don't miss this workshop and chance to ask questions and take action alongside industry leaders while learning what is on the horizon for these three organizations.

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Moderator
Speakers

08:30

SMU Steel Summit Pre-Conference Programme

The Future Is Here: Innovations, Transformations, and Technology Advances in the Steel Industry

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09:15

09:15 - 09:45

30 Minutes

Lobby Stage: Transformations: Riding the Tech Wave - Online Marketplace Trailblazers

Sponsored by

We will highlight the visionary leaders driving transformation in the metals industry through advanced technology. This panel discussion will delve into how innovations such as AI are addressing significant challenges within the industry while simultaneously drawing in the younger workforce that is crucial for its future. By examining these technological advancements, the panel aims to reveal the dual benefits of problem-solving and talent attraction that are reshaping the industry's landscape.

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09:45

09:45 - 10:00

15 Minutes

Break

10:00 - 10:45

45 Minutes

Pre-Conference Workshop: Steel Futures, Risk Management, and Your Business

Sponsored by

CME Group will lead a discussion about market dynamics driving prices today. The past several years have seen unprecedented volatility in the steel industry. And that volatility appears to be here to stay.  Firms that have a hedging program in place, or that at the very least understand the dynamics of price risk management, have a competitive advantage. Panelists from across the steel market will highlight strategies to better understand what futures and options can do for you and your company.

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Moderator
Speakers

10:45 - 11:00

15 Minutes

Break

Sponsored by

11:00 - 11:45

45 Minutes

Pre-Conference Workshop: Technology Adoption in an Ever-Changing World

Sponsored by

The pace of technology changes continues to accelerate. Even with a decade of increasing technology investment by metals companies, each month seems to bring a new, shiny technology that everyone must have. Join this session to learn more about how your peers have invested in technology over the last decade, what they are planning to do in the next decade, and lessons learned from these experiences.

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Moderator
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11:45 - 13:00

75 Minutes

Lunch

Sponsored by

13:00 - 13:30

30 Minutes

Opening of the Conference

Welcome to the 14th Annual SMU Steel Summit Conference!

Interactive Audience Poll - Your vote counts!

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Speakers

13:30 - 14:30

60 Minutes

Keynote Speaker: Michael Smerconish

It's Time to Mingle

Sirius XM radio and CNN television host Michael Smerconish is on a mission to restore civility and compromise to our public discourse. For three decades he’s had a front row seat to the increase in polarization that has gripped the nation. He sees the current climate as part of a much larger disconnect in society fueled by technology and self-sorting, having a serious impact on the mental health of our youth. The Mingle Project is both his diagnosis and prescription for the problem, presented through anecdote, social science... and a few laughs!

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Speaker

14:30 - 14:45

15 Minutes

Break

Sponsored by

16:30 - 18:00

90 Minutes

Networking Reception

Sponsored by

18:00 - 18:00

0 Minutes

End of Day 1

07:30 - 18:00

630 Minutes

Registration open

GICC South Lobby Sponsored by

07:30 - 16:30

540 Minutes

All-Day Beverages

Sponsored by

07:30 - 08:30

60 Minutes

Continental Breakfast

Sponsored by

08:00 - 08:30

30 Minutes

Lobby Stage: The View From CRU

CRU analysts and consultants will be sharing the latest insights, analyses, and price and demand forecasts for steel sheet, plate, long products, ferrous scrap, and DRI. They will also discuss the impact on the steel supply chain from both producer and consumer perspectives. This session is essential for anyone involved in buying or selling steel and preparing selling and sourcing strategies for the upcoming year and beyond.

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Moderator
Speakers

08:30 - 08:45

15 Minutes

Opening Comments

Speaker

08:45 - 09:30

45 Minutes

Fireside Chat with David Stickler, Hybar

Moderator
Speaker

09:30

09:30 - 10:15

45 Minutes

Fireside Chat with Barry Zekelman, Zekelman Industries

Moderator
Speaker

10:15 - 10:35

20 Minutes

Break

Sponsored by

10:35 - 11:45

70 Minutes

Keynote: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Has the Federal Reserve successfully engineered a soft landing? Or is the confluence of geopolitical conflict, a presidential election, rising consumer debt levels, and still high interest rates conspiring to produce an economic downturn in the short term? It is difficult to know whether 2025 will be a good year. But one thing is clear, it will be a very interesting one. This presentation will supply in-depth analysis of major factors shaping economic outcomes, including interest rates, global conflict, wage dynamics, business confidence, and demographics. It will then turn toward a forecast for the coming year, highlighting the major risks that economic stakeholders will likely encounter.

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11:45 - 13:00

75 Minutes

Lunch

Sponsored by

13:00

13:00 - 13:45

45 Minutes

End-Market Spotlight: What’s Cooking in Appliances?

We’ll turn up the heat on one of the major consumers of flat-rolled steel. Join us as we discuss the domestic appliance industry. How will legislation on energy impact production? Are new energy policies putting heat on the production and design of products? Where will demand land with the sluggish residential construction sector? We’ll also discuss what new and innovative changes are happening now and what plans are for the future.

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Moderator
Speakers

13:45 - 14:30

45 Minutes

Steel for Change: What Shifting Trade Policies and November 5th Mean for Your Business

Join us for a lively discussion examining the nexus of trade policy, manufacturing, and politics. We’ll talk about imports, “friendshoring,” as well as climate policy and decarbonization. We’ll also explore the implications of the next US presidential election for both producers and consumers of steel.

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Moderator
Speakers

14:30

14:30 - 14:45

15 Minutes

Presentation of NexGen Leadership Award

Sponsored by
Speakers

14:45 - 15:05

20 Minutes

Break

sponsored by

15:50 - 16:35

45 Minutes

Fireside Chat with Alan Kestenbaum, Stelco

Moderator
Speaker

16:35 - 18:00

85 Minutes

Networking Reception

Sponsored by
AkzoNobel Coatings, AISI, Steel Warehouse & Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

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07:30 - 13:00

330 Minutes

Registration open

GICC South Lobby Sponsored by

07:30 - 13:00

330 Minutes

All-Day Beverages

Sponsored by

07:30 - 08:30

60 Minutes

Continental Breakfast

Sponsored by

08:00 - 08:30

30 Minutes

Lobby Stage: The Artful Deal - M&A, Lending and the Future of Your Steel Business

Veteran investment bankers Vince Pappalardo and Andy Pappas will talk M&A and lending, with a focus on small- and medium-sized businesses. You’ll come away better prepared to prepare for a sale or a transaction – and with an improved understanding of financing options available to your business.

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Moderator
Speakers

08:30 - 08:45

15 Minutes

Opening Comments and Announcements

Speaker

08:45 - 09:30

45 Minutes

The Future of the Auto Industry: EVs and the Shape of Things to Come

We’ll discuss EV supply chains vs. those for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, what increased competition from aluminum diecasts means for steel, and whether automakers will prove willing to pay steel suppliers for “green” steel. Discover how these changes could impact not only mills and service centers but also stampers and service centers.

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Moderator
Speakers

10:15 - 11:00

45 Minutes

It’s Not Easy Being Green: The Challenges and Opportunities of Decarbonization

The world and our industries are continuing to move forward with decarbonization. What technologies are being explored to achieve decarbonization? What is the availability of renewable electricity? And when can we expect hydrogen technology and carbon capture to hit the US market? Just as important, is there a viable market for "green" steel - even if it means a higher price.

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Moderator
Speakers

11:00 - 11:20

20 Minutes

Break

Sponsored by

11:20 - 12:05

45 Minutes

Spotlight on Service Centers: Managing Market Cycles and Inventories in Unpredictable Times

We’ll discuss big topics like the impact of consolidation both at the mill level and the service center level. We’ll also talk about specific markets. For example, how delays in infrastructure spending and electrification have led to high inventories of electrical steels. Finally, we’ll examine why finding skilled labor remains a struggle four years after the outset of the pandemic. You’ll come away with an understanding of the manufacturing landscape and steps your business can take not only to succeed but to thrive in it. 

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Moderator
Speakers

12:05 - 13:20

75 Minutes

Keynote: 2025–2026, Preparing for Cyclical Changes

Conflicting trends characterized the first half of 2024, with lingering concerns regarding future actions by the Federal Reserve Board and the pace of disinflation. Some leading indicators were rising. Others remained mired in decline. The reasonably good financial status of consumers in general and robust business cash balances in many industries kept the downside of the business cycle mild in 2024.

Join us as we look at the trends for 2025 and into 2026, including the onset of recovery in the industrial economy and a faster rate of rise in most of the service sector. We will look at key markets domestically and globally and their expected impact on attendees. Knowing what to watch for and the probable timing of the reversal to rise will give you confidence as you lay out your plans. Specific action items pertinent to the macro and industry-specific outlook are important parts of the discussion as businesses prepare to maximize profit and prepare for the rest of the decade.

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Speaker

13:20 - 13:30

10 Minutes

Final Thoughts

One of your favorite articles in the Steel Market Update Newsletter - Live!

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13:30 - 14:30

60 Minutes

Lunch

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Close of Conference

Download 26 Aug 2024 Agenda Download Completed Agenda