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Speakers & Sessions
Expert voices bringing critical insight to the issues shaping our industry.
General Session · Thursday, September 24
8:30 am – 11:30 am · 3rd Floor, Capitol Hill Club
Sept. 24
Tara Bayke
Uncertainty makes even the strongest businesses hesitate. When markets shift, leaders need more than forecasts – they need clarity, context, and a plan. This session will help business leaders understand what is coming next, how it will affect their industry, and where to focus when conditions change. Inflation, interest rate changes, and margin pressures can derail pre-existing plans. Having a broad view of business cycle changes and sector-level drivers will help you identify risks and opportunities, aligning strategy, budgeting, and investments with forward-looking economic insight.
While many markets improved this year, others experienced only muted growth and are at risk of hard landings in 2027. This session will delve into the key macroeconomic drivers that will take hold next year or carry over from 2026. We will focus especially on the top economic drivers impacting your business – such as inflation, interest rates, labor, and geopolitical uncertainty – and their implications for overall cost structure, workforce strategy, the risk of profitless prosperity, and the timing of resource allocation across an organization.
ITR Economics has a long and proven track record of "seeing the future first," empowering our audiences to anticipate market shifts and prepare their strategies and tactics accordingly. ITR Economics' forecasting expertise equips decisionmakers with the knowledge needed to navigate often-turbulent markets. By leveraging these insights, business leaders can ensure their organizations remain resilient and thrive in the ever-changing market landscape.
Congressional Guest
With the November midterm elections on the horizon and a busy legislative agenda this fall, we'll get an insider's perspective on priorities that matter most to the U.S. manufacturing sector — including trade and tax policy, regulatory reform, and government funding. We'll also hear how Congress is engaging with the Trump Administration on trade enforcement and other issues critical to the domestic steel wire and wire products industry. This is a valuable opportunity to hear directly from a lawmaker about the policies shaping the business environment for American manufacturers. We'll also hear what policy priorities we can expect to take center stage looking ahead to the 120th Congress.
Administration Guest
An official from the Trump Administration will provide an update on the President's trade policy agenda and its implications for the domestic steel industry. 2026 has been another busy year in trade policy, with major updates to the Section 232 steel tariffs, continued efforts to rebuild the President's "tariff wall" following the Supreme Court's decision invalidating the IEEPA tariffs, and developments related to the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA), among others. We'll hear the latest on the Administration's "America First Trade Policy," and how these developments affect the wire and wire products sector and the steel industry more broadly.
Political Analyst/Strategist
With the 2026 midterm elections just weeks away, we'll hear the latest state of play and what the results could mean for the U.S. manufacturing sector. We'll look at the key factors shaping the battle for control of Congress — from historical midterm trends and primary results to voter intensity and the impact of redistricting — and examine the races to watch this November. We'll also explore how the outcomes may influence the policy environment on issues that matter most to our industry. Whether you follow politics closely or simply want to understand how Election Day could impact your business, this session will give you the context and insights you need heading into November.
Sept. 24
Bob Costello
American Trucking Associations
Manufacturers are facing growing uncertainty across freight transportation, global trade, and supply chain reliability. From driver shortages and evolving transportation networks to shifts in trade policy, rail capacity, and ocean freight markets, these trends are increasingly affecting the movement of raw materials and finished products.
Drawing on extensive economic research and industry data, Costello will provide an exclusive outlook on the trends shaping the future of freight and logistics — with a focus on the implications for manufacturers over the next 12–24 months.