Manufacturing Supply Chain & Inventory Forum Vendor
From Supply Chain Pressure to Operational Resilience
24 September 2026 | The Eastside Rooms, Birmingham
UK manufacturers are under pressure from every direction. Volatile demand, inconsistent supplier performance, rising costs, and tighter working capital are reshaping day-to-day operations, while expectations on delivery reliability and service levels remain as high as ever.
For those responsible for supply chain, operations, inventory, and planning, the challenge has shifted. It is no longer just about efficiency. It is about making the right call, fast, when every decision around what to buy, what to make, and what to hold carries immediate financial and operational consequences. And the visibility to make those calls well? Still missing for most. 90% of UK manufacturers lack end-to-end supply chain visibility. Only one in ten has full sight of their supply network.
These are the people in the room. Senior decision-makers who are actively looking for solutions to the exact problems you solve. This summit brings them together in a focused, peer-led environment where real challenges are on the table and the conversation is honest. No fluff, no noise. Just direct access to the buyers, planners, and operations leaders who are ready to act.
About the event
Built for manufacturers operating in a complex, unpredictable world and the people ready to help them.
UK manufacturers are navigating volatile demand, unreliable supplier performance, rising costs, and working capital pressure daily, on the shop floor. This event connects solutions providers directly with the senior manufacturing professionals who are actively seeking better answers.
Every delegate is a senior practitioner responsible for supply chain, operations, inventory, or planning — the people who select, recommend, or sign off on the solutions your team provides.
Delegates pre-select their top three discussion topics before the event. Your roundtable is pre-populated with people who have actively chosen to engage with the challenge your business solves.
As a sponsor, you host and actively participate in your own dedicated discussion table. Not presenting to the room — in the room, in the conversation, building relationships that matter.
The Manufacturer’s editorial-backed context means your first conversation happens in a trusted environment. It is not a cold call — it is a peer discussion with people already seeking solutions like yours.
The audience
The people in the room are the ones you need to reach.
The Forum is invitation-only and curated to ensure a senior, practitioner-led delegate group. Every attendee is screened and personally invited, drawn from The Manufacturer’s established relationships across the sector. We do not sell delegate places.
Your roundtable is pre-populated with people who have actively chosen to engage with the challenge your business solves.
The Audience Job Title
- Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Head of Supply Chain
- Supply Chain Director
- Group Supply Chain Director
- Supply Chain Manager
- Operations Director
- Manufacturing Director / Plant Director
- Production Manager
- Inventory Manager / Materials Manager
- Demand Planning Manager / Lead
- S&OP Manager / Supply Chain Planning Manager
- Procurement Director / Head of Procurement
- Strategic Sourcing Manager
- Supplier Relationship / Development Manager
- ERP Manager / Head of ERP
- Supply Chain Systems Manager
- Digital Transformation Lead (Manufacturing)
- Finance Director (Manufacturing) / CFO
- Head of Working Capital
- Managing Director / CEO (SME Manufacturer)
Agenda
| 11:00 | Registration & Refreshments |
| 11:30 | Chair’s Welcome |
| 11:40 | Roundtable Discussion 1 |
| 12:30 | Comfort Break |
| 12:40 | Keynote 1 |
| 12:55 | Keynote 2 |
| 13:10 | Q&A with Keynote Speakers and Audience |
| 13:25 | Lunch & Networking |
| 14:10 | Roundtable Discussion 2 |
| 15:00 | Comfort Break |
| 15:10 | Roundtable Discussion 3 |
| 16:00 | Chair’s Closing Remarks |
| 16:15 | Networking Drinks |
Discussion topics
Sponsor the conversation your customers are already having
Volatility in customer demand signals; difficulty predicting real vs. perceived demand; forecasting errors lead to over/understocking.
Make-to-order vs make-to-stock trade-offs; excess inventory vs stockouts; WIP optimization; managing safety stock and cash flow.
Finding reliable suppliers, especially niche or global; assessing quality, capacity, and risk; onboarding digitally while protecting confidentiality.
Monitoring OTIF (on-time in full), resilience, redundancy; modeling “what-if” scenarios for disruptions or demand spikes.
Leveraging ERP/MRP, AI agents, predictive analytics; modeling and simulating supply chains; managing AI governance, adoption, and ethical use.
Internal (teams/business) and external (suppliers/customers); using digital tools effectively; overcoming fragmented communication methods.
Workforce capability gaps, training, modern digital skills; developing talent beyond the shop floor.
Controlling costs while balancing service level and cash flow; working capital optimization.
UK/EU post-Brexit complexities, global trade friction, long lead times, 3PL vs in-house logistics.
Increasing exposure to geopolitical risk, supplier concentration, and unexpected disruptions; balancing efficiency with resilience; nearshoring vs offshoring decisions; building contingency plans and stress-testing supply chains.
Speakers & Round Table Discussion Leaders
Partnership Packages
The Community
*Please note: Delegate places are reserved exclusively for senior manufacturing professionals. Suppliers, vendors and sales or marketing roles from companies that sell to manufacturers are not eligible to attend.