Educating the Supply Chain • March 16–19, 2026 • Indianapolis, IN
Registration is now open for the University of Innovative Distribution (UID) 2026! This unique education program is sponsored by the Association Education Alliance (AEA), a consortium of 40+ distribution professional associations and in cooperation with the Department of Technology Leadership and Innovation of Purdue University.
It is a concentrated educational program focused on the unique needs of the wholesale distribution industry. The course curriculum is taught by world-class instructors who know distribution with strong emphasis on Sales and Artificial Intelligence (AI) across multiple sessions and keynotes.
Participants select their curriculum from courses offered in six tracks including marketing and sales, management, distribution strategy, leadership
and professional development and operations. What you learn at UID will have immediate application in your work environment.
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Program Highlights
- Six focused course tracks tailored to the wholesale distribution industry
- World class instructors with real world distribution expertise
- Strong emphasis on Sales and Artificial Intelligence
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Continuing Education
Purdue University awards completion of the UID program 3 CEUs (30 hours of Continuing Education) toward the 9 hour CEU requirement to complete their Professional Certificate in Innovative Distribution.
Registration
Earlybird deadline: Friday, January 16, 2026
Hotel reservation cutoff: Monday, February 23, 2026
Registration deadline: Monday, March 9, 2026
Register Now
Who Should Attend
UID is designed for rising professionals and managers who want to build expertise in distribution, operations and sales through hands-on, university-style learning. This event is ideal for:
- Sales and trading professionals at early to mid career stages looking to strengthen technical knowledge, negotiation skills and customer strategies
- Procurement and purchasing professionals focused on supply chain best practices, sourcing and vendor management
- Operations and logistics managers responsible for efficiency, process improvement and coordination across teams
- Quality control and product specialists seeking deeper technical understanding, compliance knowledge and operational optimization
- Emerging leaders and mid-level managers ready to sharpen tactical skills, improve processes and advance their careers
UID is best suited for professionals in sales, procurement, operations and supply chain roles who value practical learning, operational excellence and career growth through structured, hands-on education.
Keynote Speakers
Aaron Proietti
Opening Keynote & Tuesday's General Session Speaker
Aaron Proietti is a thought leader in the use of innovation, systems thinking and artificial intelligence to explore complexity, clarify strategy and unlock new ways of seeing. His talks give audiences sharper questions, stronger language and practical approaches they can use right away.
Steve McClatchy
Closing Keynote & Wednesday's General Session Speaker
Steve is a keynote speaker, workshop leader and author of the New York Times Bestseller Decide: Work Smarter, Reduce Your Stress & Lead by Example. Decide has enjoyed global success and has been translated into 10 languages including Chinese, Russian, Japanese and Spanish.
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