MODEX 2026 was a record show. MHI reported 50,000 registered visitors and 1,057 exhibitors at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, April 13-16.
For ISD, it was also a launch. At Booth B8032, we introduced the UltraStore Mini-Load ASRS, presented in three education sessions and welcomed more than 60 students. Here is our look back, plus what comes next.
MODEX 2026 by the Numbers
MHI‘s final figures show how big the show was. As a result, it is now the largest MODEX on record.
| MODEX 2026 | Final Figure |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 13-16, 2026 |
| Venue | Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta |
| Registered visitors | 50,000 |
| Visitor origin | Every U.S. state and 132 countries |
| Exhibitors | 1,057 |
| Exhibit space | 630,000 net square feet |
| Education | 189 sessions and 4 keynotes |
Source: MHI Solutions, “MODEX 2026 Sets New Record”. The crowd also included large enterprises, from Fortune 1000 companies to top retailers and consumer goods firms.
The UltraStore Mini-Load ASRS Debut
The star of our booth was the UltraStore Mini-Load ASRS, designed and built in the USA. It stores totes and bins in a crane-and-aisle system. The crane runs on the floor surface, not on a rail set into the slab.
Two features drew the biggest reactions. First, the weight capacity: the Mini-Load handles totes and bins up to 2,500 lbs., well beyond typical mini-load limits. Second, the floor-running crane needs no embedded track, so there is no single point of failure and virtually no downtime.
Visitors called both “incredible.” In fact, many assembly and distribution teams told us their parts had always been too heavy for a mini-load, yet a pallet system was more than they needed.
The UltraStore Mini-Load was also named a finalist in the MHI Innovation Awards. We are proud to have been in that company.
“We built the Mini-Load for the operations that kept falling between the cracks. Their parts were too heavy for a standard mini-load, and a pallet system was overkill. Hearing visitors call the weight capacity and the trackless design incredible told us we got the problem right. And because it uses off-the-shelf parts, customers can source replacements locally instead of waiting on overseas shipments.”
Tony Morgott, President, ISD
Press Conference and Session Takeaways
On Tuesday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m., we held a press conference in Booth B8032 to unveil the Mini-Load. Media, analysts and customers got the full specifications and application details.
Earlier, on Monday, April 13, ISD took part in three education sessions. Here is one takeaway from each.
- What’s New in ASRS: Breakthroughs Driving the Future of Warehousing. Presented with MHI’s ASRS Product Section. Right-sized ASRS now makes automation practical for operations that could never justify a full-scale system.
- The Latest and Greatest Advances @ MODEX 2026. Presented with MHI’s Solutions Community. Buyers want proven, production-ready systems, not pilots.
- Goods-to-Person Success Formula: ROI, Risks and Realities. Build the ROI from your own order profile and labor data. The real risks are usually in implementation, not the hardware.
“The goods-to-person session drew the most follow-up questions, and they were all about money. People wanted to know how to build an ROI they could defend. Our answer is always the same: start with your own order profile and labor numbers, not a brochure claim.”
Robert Jones, Senior Distribution Consultant, ISD
What Buyers Asked About Most
So what was on buyers’ minds? Across our booth conversations, three topics came up again and again. Buyers wanted to save labor, save space and prove the return on investment.
Those three are closely linked. For example, an ASRS that recovers floor space can delay a building expansion. That savings often carries the business case. Likewise, labor savings matter most when they are measured against real staffing data.
That is why our booth meetings started with the operation, not the equipment. Our OptimalOps-Process™ turns that data into a recommendation, and the Warehouse Automation ROI Calculator gives teams a quick baseline.
“I can’t tell you how many times I heard the same three words at MODEX: labor, space and ROI. Nobody walked into our booth asking for a robot. They asked how to ship more with fewer people, without building a bigger building, and how to prove it to their CFO. That’s exactly the right question.”
Ed Romaine, VP of Marketing and Business Development, ISD
Popcorn, Students and the Next Generation
Our popcorn machine was busy again. We handed out more than 4,000 bags over four days, even more than at ProMat 2025.
The booth calendar stayed full, too. Thank you to everyone who booked a meeting with our engineers, and to everyone who stopped by between sessions.
As a MODEX Student Days site sponsor, we also welcomed more than 60 students to Booth B8032. Our team talked with them about careers in warehouse automation, systems integration and operations management.
What’s Next After MODEX 2026
Next up is ProMat 2027, April 19-21, 2027, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Find ISD in Booth N6115, or book a ProMat meeting now.
MODEX then returns to Atlanta April 3-5, 2028. For help choosing a show, see our ProMat vs. MODEX comparison and our guide to planning your 2027-2028 show season.
Missed us in Atlanta? Schedule a free consultation, and we will walk you through the Mini-Load and the rest of what we showed.
MODEX 2026 FAQ
1. How many people attended MODEX 2026?
MHI reported 50,000 registered visitors from every U.S. state and 132 countries. The show had 1,057 exhibitors across 630,000 net square feet, a record for MODEX.
2. What did ISD introduce at MODEX 2026?
ISD introduced the UltraStore Mini-Load ASRS, a Made in the USA tote and bin storage system. It has no embedded track and handles loads up to 2,500 lbs.
3. Was the UltraStore Mini-Load an MHI Innovation Award finalist?
Yes. The UltraStore Mini-Load ASRS was named a finalist in the MHI Innovation Awards at MODEX 2026.
4. When is the next MODEX?
MODEX returns to Atlanta April 3-5, 2028. Before that, ProMat 2027 runs April 19-21, 2027, in Chicago, and MODEX West debuts in Las Vegas in October 2028.
Talk With ISD About Your Operation
Labor, space and ROI: our engineers can help you size all three before your next show.
