At its recent edition held at The Venetian in Las Vegas from February 10 to 12, 2025, Manifest firmly established itself as an essential strategic event for the international logistics industry. In an environment where agility, collaboration, and technological adaptability are critical for the evolution of supply chains, events like Manifest play a particularly significant role for Mexico and Latin America by promoting regional integration. Pam Simon, Conference Chair and EVP of Programming at Manifest, shared in an exclusive interview with T21 how the event has evolved and its role in driving logistics collaboration, particularly across North America and Latin America.
Since its inaugural event, which took place immediately after COVID-19 lockdowns during the Omicron wave, Manifest has experienced remarkable growth.
“We started with 1,500 executives, becoming the first in-person event without masks, though with onsite testing. Since then, attendance has doubled annually, reaching over 6,000 executives from more than 50 countries this year,”
Pam Simon emphasized that Manifest continually broadens its thematic focus in response to market demands. The event now includes critical sectors such as cold chain logistics, intermodal transport, maritime shipping, and sustainability—all vital components for commercial dynamics among Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Additionally, the event brings together startups and established companies to create effective synergies.
Regarding regional collaboration, Simon underscored the strategic importance of Manifest as a key platform for fostering connections and strengthening cross-border trade.
“Events like Manifest are critical for connecting leaders and companies, facilitating discussions about tariffs, regulations, and current geopolitical challenges. Our mission is to support profitable nearshoring growth in North America, a topic particularly relevant to Mexico and Latin America,”.
During the most recent event, over 120,000 business meetings took place, resulting in significant strategic partnerships.
“Around 40 companies launched new products, in addition to numerous strategic alliances that will be announced shortly. Manifest is a major accelerator for new business creation and strategic relationships,” she added.
Among the main challenges and trends discussed, Simon explained that artificial intelligence (AI) and automation took center stage, being fully implemented in inventory management and visibility through IoT. Additionally, there was significant focus on the growing need to digitize customs processes to enhance efficiency in international trade.
“Digitization and automation do not replace the human factor; instead, they strengthen collaboration and efficiency in logistics chains,”.
Finally, Simon pointed out that hosting this latest edition at The Venetian in Las Vegas provided a unified space, further facilitating effective interaction among executives from North America and Latin America. “Manifest has become an essential strategic point for dialogue and cross-border logistics growth in the region,” she concluded.
The next edition of Manifest will be held from February 9 to 11, 2026, at The Venetian, reinforcing its position as the most strategically relevant logistics event for North America and Latin America.
