Day one of the SMC³ Connections 2018 supply chain education conference, an event focused on the trends and issues in the transportation arena, took a bit of a monetary digression. During “The Practical Guide to Blockchain” panel, a parenthetical discussion of cryptocurrency featured some visionary claims regarding the use of Bitcoin and digital money.

FedEx Supply Chain’s Ryan Kelly recently spoke with SMC³ about the reverse logistics supply chain and how less-than-truckload carriers are trying to capitalize on the growing trend. Industry expert, Brad Parrish of FedEx Supply Chain, will discuss the topic in more detail during Connections 2018 in June.

John Wiehoff, CEO of C.H. Robinson, is one of the keynote speakers for the Connections 2018 supply chain conference, which will take place June 25-27 at the Greenbrier. He recently spoke with SMC³, which has served as one of the 3PL’s long-time partners, about emerging technologies in the industry and how C.H. Robinson uses technology to optimize its business.

Bright U.S. economic news came a little more than a month after economist Don Ratajczak spoke to attendees at SMC³’s Jump Start 2018 conference. The economic storyteller spent his time on stage taking stock of what has been happening around the world since his last update for SMC³ at Connections 2017. It all boiled down to one fact: There has been a significant increase in global economic activity.

At the Jump Start 2018 supply chain conference, Amazon’s Blair Anderson and former Department of Transportation head James Burnley discussed transportation politics. Burnley said the Trump administration is engaged in “the most serious administration-wide effort since Reagan.”