Why This Matters to Distributors: As artificial intelligence moves from experimentation to deployment, distributors are increasingly focused on practical applications that improve productivity, enhance customer service, and strengthen decision-making. The conference agenda reflects a growing industry shift from AI pilots to operational execution.
Distribution executives from across North America will gather Tuesday for the opening day of Distribution Strategy Group’s Applied AI for Distributors conference, a three-day event focused on how wholesalers are using artificial intelligence to drive growth and improve operations.
The conference begins June 23 at the Chicago Marriott O’Hare with a program centered on economic trends, AI-enabled business systems, and distributor-led implementation strategies.
An optional pre-conference workshop will kick off the event Tuesday morning. The session, led by Distribution Strategy Group co-founders Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein, is designed to provide attendees with an overview of AI applications already producing results in distribution businesses.
The formal conference opens at noon with introductory remarks before shifting to an economic outlook presentation from Alex Chausovsky, president of 3DM Consulting.
Chausovsky will examine the forces shaping the distribution economy, including tariffs, inflation, labor market trends, global trade disruptions, and rising investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. The session will also explore the impact of data center construction and AI-related capital spending, two areas creating significant demand for industrial, electrical and construction supply distributors.
The afternoon agenda moves from economic conditions to technology execution.
A technology leadership panel featuring executives from Epicor, Kaavio and HawkSearch will explore how artificial intelligence is being integrated into enterprise resource planning systems, digital commerce platforms, and product information management tools. Panelists are expected to discuss how distributors are using AI to improve forecasting, automate product data management, and enhance online customer experience.
The day’s featured keynote will be delivered by Danna Stone, senior vice president of marketing at Graybar.
Stone’s presentation, “The Long Game: How Graybar Operationalizes AI,” will focus on how one of North America’s largest distributors is applying artificial intelligence across marketing, pricing, purchasing, and category management functions. The session is expected to emphasize governance, process discipline, and organizational readiness as key components of successful AI adoption.
The opening day concludes with an evening reception and networking event in the exhibit hall.
The conference comes as distributors face increasing pressure to identify practical uses for AI amid growing investment in the technology across manufacturing, logistics and supply chain operations.
While much of the industry’s recent AI discussion has focused on emerging capabilities, this year’s event is centered on implementation, execution, and measurable business outcomes.
For many distributors attending the conference, the challenge is no longer understanding what artificial intelligence can do. It is determining where the technology can deliver the greatest impact across their organizations.
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