The Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo 2026 takes place May 4-6 in Orlando, Florida, with a second session May 18-20 in Barcelona, Spain. It is Gartner’s flagship conference for Chief Supply Chain Officers, VPs of Supply Chain, and enterprise technology buyers. Enterprise spending on supply chain management software with agentic AI capabilities is forecast to grow from less than $2 billion in 2025 to $53 billion by 2030 (Gartner, April 2026).
Key takeaways:
- The Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo 2026 runs May 4-6 in Orlando, FL.
- Agentic AI, tariff-driven supply chain redesign, and execution reliability are the three dominant themes shaping the 2026 agenda.
- 86% of C-suite executives globally plan to invest in AI and advanced analytics for cost reductions across supply chains, customer service, and sales and marketing (BCG, 2025).
- Financial execution capabilities are the most underrepresented category on the Gartner expo floor, in Zero Down’s assessment, creating a real due diligence gap for attendees.
What are the major themes at the 2026 Gartner Supply Chain Symposium?
Three converging pressures define the 2026 agenda: agentic AI deployment, execution reliability in volatile carrier markets, and supply chain redesign driven by new global tariffs. Each theme carries direct implications for freight spend that most expo coverage underreports.
82% of companies report supply chain impact from new global tariffs, and 43% plan a US footprint shift, according to McKinsey and Company (2025). That change means new carrier relationships, renegotiated LTL and truckload contracts, and lane-level data that may not exist in current TMS or ERP systems. A closed-loop transportation procurement strategy built on continuous benchmarking makes that transition defensible from a cost standpoint.
What should supply chain leaders look for from vendors at the Gartner expo floor?
The Gartner expo floor draws a wide range of enterprise vendors: demand planning and S&OP platforms, transportation management systems, supply chain visibility tools, procurement software, and risk intelligence providers.
Each category solves real problems, and the vendor mix reflects the genuine breadth of what CSCOs are prioritizing in 2026. What is harder to find on the floor, in Zero Down’s assessment, is financial execution capability, specifically automated freight audit and payment: ensuring carrier invoices are accurate before payment releases and every overcharge is recovered. For organizations carrying significant freight spend, that gap in representation is worth flagging before you finalize your evaluation list.
Before leaving any vendor demo, push into these questions:
- What is your error identification rate across accessorial charges, dimensional weight discrepancies, and duplicate billing?
- Where does your AI layer take autonomous action on exceptions versus flagging items for human review?
- How does your platform integrate with existing freight audit and payment providers?
Reviewing real-world freight audit case studies before the event gives you a benchmark for credible answers.
How does generative AI connect to freight cost control?
Research from Gartner and Deloitte consistently points to procurement and invoice processing as a leading high-ROI application of agentic AI in supply chain, including automating freight audit rules, flagging billing anomalies, and accelerating carrier dispute resolution.
Before you evaluate platforms on the expo floor, see how much your freight invoices might be costing you. Request a free freight spend assessment from Zero Down Supply Chain Solutions.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium 2026?
The Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo 2026 has two sessions: May 4-6 in Orlando, Florida, and May 18-20 in Barcelona, Spain. Orlando is the primary North American conference for senior supply chain and logistics executives planning their technology and operational roadmaps.
Who should attend the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium?
Chief Supply Chain Officers, VPs of Supply Chain, Logistics Directors, Procurement Managers, and enterprise technology buyers are the core audience. CFOs and Controllers with significant freight spend are increasingly attending as supply chain cost control becomes a direct P&L priority, making it as relevant for finance leadership as for operations.
What is the difference between the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium and the Planning Summit?
The Symposium/Xpo is Gartner’s flagship event for senior supply chain leaders, covering end-to-end strategy, technology, and operational transformation. The Planning Summit is a practitioner event for demand planning and S&OP specialists. Executives building enterprise-wide technology and cost strategies should prioritize the Symposium.
How does agentic AI apply to freight and transportation cost management?
Gartner and Deloitte research consistently points to procurement and invoice processing as a leading high-ROI application of agentic AI in supply chain, including automating freight audit rules, flagging billing anomalies, and accelerating carrier dispute resolution. Gartner projects spending on supply chain management software with agentic AI capabilities will grow from less than $2 billion in 2025 to $53 billion by 2030.
