FreightWaves in-person events quickly became known for their trendsetting experiences since their launch in 2018, but the COVID pandemic forced a change in 2020. While the company switched to virtual events last year, the same on-site experience was missing.
It won’t be later this year. FreightWaves will open the doors to an in-person event with F3: Future of Freight Festival.
FreightWaves will be bringing the F3: Future of Freight Festival to its home city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Nov. 8-10. Several thousand freight executives, supply chain leaders and industry stakeholders are expected to descend on Chattanooga – named one of America’s most livable cities – for the in-person event, which will take place not at one location like many events but throughout the city of Chattanooga at 30-plus venues in a true celebration of the city and the future of freight.
“This isn’t going to be just another freight conference,” Craig Fuller, founder and CEO of FreightWaves, said. “It will be an outdoor and indoor festival, with music and entertainment throughout the experience.”
Tickets for F3: Future of Freight Festival are on sale now, and through March 12, early registrants will receive a special deal on a three-day ticket for just $595. Regular ticket price is $2,495. J.B. Hunt 360 is the headline sponsor the event.
The F3: Future of Freight Festival will feature discussions on all modes of the supply chain – trucking, air, ocean and rail – but since this is a festival, it will go deeper.
“We hope to share an experience of what the near future will be like when smart cities and logistics tech unite,” Fuller said. “It will be immersive with live demonstrations, enabling the innovators a chance to present their offerings in front of a crowd of the most powerful names in freight.”
Industry experts and entrepreneurs will dive deep into all aspects of freight movement. The experience will also include a special look at the near future of freight with a focus on drones, autonomous and electric vehicles and more. FreightWaves recently launched a new brand, Modern Shipper, that focuses on these aspects of the modern freight movement.
Given its importance to the freight industry, bringing the F3: Future of Freight Festival to Chattanooga is a great opportunity to showcase the city and its people, Fuller said.
Chattanooga is also firmly in the middle of Freight Alley. The area, roughly defined as a portion of the southeastern U.S. that includes portions of Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, has a gross regional product of $1.75 trillion, slightly higher than the gross domestic product of Canada ($1.53 trillion).
Freight Alley is critical to freight movement in North America, regardless of whether that is on truck, rail, air or ocean. A freight study by Cambridge Systematics, commissioned by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Transportation Planning Organization, found that approximately 80% of all the nation’s freight travels through Chattanooga on its way to its final destination.
Chattanooga, a city of 189,000 people, is annually listed among the most livable cities in America, as determined by Livability.com. The Gig City is home to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, but that is just one of the local highlights. Approximately a two-hour ride from Atlanta and Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee, the city’s fast internet speeds have made it a desired location for tech companies. “Surrounded by mountains and countless stunning views, the city lives up to its ‘Scenic City’ moniker,” Livability wrote. “With easy access to hiking trails, waterfalls, world-class rock climbing spots and winter sports, outdoor recreation abounds. Residents can enjoy a wide variety of activities that are fun for the entire family, including the Tennessee Aquarium and Chattanooga Zoo.”
