Earlier this month, Manifest 2026 brought together more than 7,000 supply chain and logistics professionals and over 400 exhibiting companies under one roof for three days of technology, thought leadership, and commercial connection. Nearly every conversation from booth-side robotics demos to executive roundtables circled back to the same themes.

AI, automation, and robotics dominated conversations, demos, and deal discussions across the expo floor and stages.

At a show like this, with enterprise leaders seeking operational advantage and hundreds of solution providers telling very similar technology stories, standing out becomes a strategic challenge. By the second day, it was clear how difficult the challenge really is. When many exhibitors are working on comparable use cases to solve similar problems, differentiation becomes diluted and noise rises.

So, the question is: how do companies rise above the volume, not only during the show but across the months between events and deal cycles, to stay relevant, compelling and top of mind for buyers?

AI, AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS: THE ERA OF INTELLIGENT EXECUTION

If there was a unifying theme at Manifest, it was the relentless pursuit of intelligent operations. On stage and in breakout sessions, AI and predictive analytics were positioned as core levers for forecasting, decision support, and orchestration across planning, inventory, and transportation flows. On the expo floor, warehouse robotics, autonomous systems, and automation solutions were everywhere, from robotic inventory units to collaborative mobile robots and palletizing solutions.

What stood out most is that AI and robotics have shifted from emerging solutions into expected capabilities for supply chain transformation. Buyers and partners assume you have them, and it is now on you to demonstrate the real value of how you are deploying the technology.

But when every company talks about AI, machine learning, real-time data and adaptive robotics, how does a technology provider make a buyer remember them?

BEYOND THE BOOTH: DIFFERENTIATION OUTSIDE THE EXPO HALL

Here is how companies can elevate themselves in a crowded landscape, between events, in ongoing buyer conversations and throughout long enterprise sales cycles.

1.Be Prescriptive, Not Generic

      Buyers don’t want another vendor that “could” help. They want clear, actionable insight linked directly to business outcomes.

      Being prescriptive means moving past broad claims such as “we use AI and robotics to optimize” toward specific results, metrics and use cases that speak the buyer’s language:

      • Show how your automation drove measurable improvement in throughput
      • Explain why your predictive model reduced stockouts in a defined operating environment
      • Map your solution to real operational challenges, not just technology trends

      The companies that broke through at Manifest weren’t just the ones with the flashiest demonstrations. They were the ones who could clearly articulate the business impact.

      Prescriptive content signals credibility and separates you from competitors who speak only in abstract possibilities.

      2. Be Predictive with Vision, Not Vague with Promise

      At Manifest, leaders emphasized that AI is not a magic black box. Rather, it is a tool that unlocks predictability and resilience in complex supply chains.

      Position your brand around forward-looking insights that anticipate challenges before they materialize.

      Instead of reactive thought leadership, produce:

      • Data-backed predictions about industry shift
      • Analyses of emerging operational risks
      • Scenarios that help buyers plan for what comes next

      Several executives acknowledged that moving AI pilots into enterprise-wide production remains a hurdle. Addressing that reality head-on builds more trust than pretending the path is seamless. It’s about helping a prospective customer truly see how this journey happens in their actual environment…and over what realistic timetable. Very few technologies are a flip of a switch to deployment. Transparency will prevail.

      Predictive thinking frames your company as a strategic partner, not simply a technology provider.

      3. Be Provocative and Spark Conversations

      Much of the messaging at events like this feels safe, and understandably so. However, “safe” rarely makes anyone memorable. In a world of safe messaging, provocative thinking cuts through. It challenges assumptions, reframes the status quo, and positions your company as a leader shaping the future rather than reacting to it.

      Ask questions publicly that spark intrigue or create debate:

      • What if your warehouse robotics strategy is increasing complexity rather than reducing it?
      • Why are so many AI pilots struggling to scale into enterprise-wide production?
      • If your visibility platform does not connect insight to decision-making, is it truly driving performance?

      Provocative narratives are not about sensationalism. When anchored in data and experience, they reframe conversations and force engagement. That is a powerful differentiator.

      THE ROLE OF EARNED MEDIA AND EXECUTIVE EMINENCE

      Standing out is not only about what you say, it’s also about where and how that message shows up. Earned media and executive visibility play an outsized role in building authority in a crowded technology ecosystem.

      For example:

      • Thought leadership and contributed articles in industry press position your leaders in front of decision makers during active research cycles
      • Analyst briefings and media interviews amplify your voice beyond your owned channels
      • Third-party validation adds credibility that product messaging alone cannot achieve

      The stories most likely to gain traction are those that are prescriptive, predictive and provocative. They move beyond product specifications and articulate a clear point of view about where the industry is headed and why it matters.

      BRINGING THE CONVERSATION TO LIFE

      During the show, I met with and spoke to several companies deploying robotic solutions. Each is navigating how to articulate distinct value in an increasingly competitive field.

      A few common themes emerged from those conversations:

      • Robotics alone is not enough…buyers want to understand business impact, not just features
      • Storytelling that ties automation to measurable labor relief, operational uptime and scalable deployment earns far more engagement than generic demonstrations
      • Companies that connect their technology to a broader point of view about the future of work or the future of supply chain and logistics operations attract deeper interest than those focused solely on engineering detail

      Again and again, the conversations that drew a crowd weren’t about the technology itself. Rather, they were about the outcomes, from cost savings to resilience to speed of deployment.

      In environments like Manifest, where innovation is abundant and attention is fragmented, the real differentiator is not just what you showcase but how you show up afterward. Consistent, thoughtful communication backed by earned media, executive thought leadership, and strong positioning keeps you relevant long after the expo halls close.

      When your narrative is prescriptive, predictive, and provocative, it does more than fill a booth…it shapes the conversation. And, in today’s crowded innovation landscape, shaping the conversation is how you truly stand out.