Final Thoughts
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Final thoughts
Written by Michael Cowden
July 16, 2024
There are just 40 days left until the SMU Steel Summit 2024 gets underway on Aug. 26 at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) in Atlanta.
And I’m pleased to announce that it’s official now: More than 1,000 people have registered to attend one of the largest gatherings of the steel industry!
Another big development: The desktop version of the networking app for Steel Summit has officially launched!
(Editor’s note: This is the desktop version. The mobile version will be available from app stores closer to the date of the conference.)
Ladies and gentlemen, start your networking!
Those of you who have already registered to attend should have received an email from conferences@crugroup.com with your login details. It might take a few hours after registering before you receive your login details.
Why is this big news? It means you can now network with and schedule meetings with the 1,000+ people and roughly 400 companies that are already planning to be at the Summit. And those numbers are sure to grow between now and late August.
If you haven’t registered, what are you waiting for? This is a nearly unparalleled opportunity to get your name and your company’s name in front of the North American steel industry. Register here!
Don’t forget to update your profile with your bio and headshot. I’ve just logged in and done that. It was quick and painless.
Your vote counts at SMU
You’ll use the app at the event itself to keep tabs on the agenda, ask questions of our speakers, and participate in our interactive polls.
We’ll ask this year, as we do almost every year, where you think steel prices will be a year from now. Don’t worry about getting it wrong! In August 2020, most people predicted that steel prices would still be in the $400s per short ton (st) a year later. However, in August 2021, they were closer to $2,000/st. So, you’ll be looking sharp if you’re off by less than $1,500/st.
What other poll questions should we ask this year: Who will win the presidential election? Will we see more downstream tariffs? Or something else entirely?
Let me know at michael@steelmarketupdate.com. We’ll load some of those questions into the app for the first day of the Summit. That’s when my colleague David Schollaert and I will bring those questions to all of you for a live vote.
There are PLENTY of hotels
We’ve heard from some of you that hotels are full and rates are high. There is no getting around the fact that hotels are more expensive than they used to be. And with more than 1,000 people attending Steel Summit, rooms on the GICC campus are scarce and come at a premium.
But there are many hotels at reasonable prices within a few minutes’ drive of the GICC. Below is by no means an exhaustive list. And it comes with no official endorsement from SMU or our parent company CRU. That said, the SMU staff made sure that there were availabilities for Aug. 26-28, the dates of the conference:
Radisson Hotel Atlanta Airport – 4 minutes by car
The Westin Atlanta Airport – 4 minutes by car
Hotel Indigo Atlanta Airport College Park – 5 minutes by car
Holiday Inn Express Atlanta Airport College Park – 5 minutes by car
Atlanta Airport Marriott – 5 minutes by car
Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta Airport – 6 minutes by car
Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport/Millennium Center – 6 minutes by car
Country Inn Suites by Radisson, Atlanta – 9 minutes by car
By the way, there should be no shortage of Ubers, Lyfts, and taxis in the area. Remember, we’ll be near Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport, the busiest airport in the world – so getting in and out and finding a place to sleep shouldn’t be a problem.
See you on Aug. 26-28 in Atlanta!
All of us at SMU are excited about this year’s Steel Summit. We can’t wait to see so many of you in August at the GICC in Atlanta!
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Michael Cowden
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Final thoughts
Sheet prices didn’t roar back after Labor Day. But steel market news sure came out of the gate strong (or maybe chaotically is the better way to put it). First, the nearly $15-billion proposed sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel exploded into the news. And when I say exploded, I mean that all sides seem to be escalating things now.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/gears.png)
Final thoughts
Welcome back from Labor Day, from Steel Summit, and from whatever fun you might have had over the long weekend. Personally, I enjoyed camping with friends and family near Starved Rock. No one starved, there were no major injuries, and we enjoyed the many splendors of Mystical Fire. (Speaking of which, does that have industrial uses? But I digress.)
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Final thoughts
I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ from all of us at SMU to all of you (more than 1,500!) who attended Steel Summit this year. We appreciate you taking time out of busy schedules to join us – whether that was up on stage, submitting thoughtful questions, or catching up over a drink and bite to eat. Also, a bit shoutout to everyone at SMU and at CRU who made this event possible. It’s no understatement to say that we have a fantastic team.
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Final thoughts
Day one and two of SMU's Steel Summit 2024 are officially in the books. We covered a lot of ground, and the agenda sure did deliver.
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Final thoughts
The big show is just about here. SMU Steel Summit will be getting underway on Monday. Where does the networking begin? I’d say at the airport. So don’t forget your business cards. And it can't hurt to wear a company golf shirt.