Basketball Legend Scottie Pippen and Futurist Dr. Peter H. Diamandis to Headline QAD | Redzone Champions of Manufacturing 2026

One built a dynasty. The other is helping build the future. Together, they will challenge manufacturers to rethink what it takes to win in the age of AI.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QAD | Redzone, the company behind the world’s leading AI-powered platform for manufacturers, announced that six-time NBA champion and Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and renowned futurist, entrepreneur, and XPRIZE founder Dr. Peter H. Diamandis will headline Champions of Manufacturing 2026, the company’s flagship event for manufacturing leaders, taking place September 21–23 in Chicago.

At a moment when artificial intelligence is reshaping every industry, manufacturers face a defining question: who will lead the next era of industrial performance? Champions of Manufacturing was created to answer exactly that.

Bringing together hundreds of executives, operators, technologists, and frontline leaders, the event will move beyond theory and hype to showcase something far more important: how manufacturers are already using AI to transform productivity, strengthen resilience, and unlock new levels of growth. Scottie Pippen and Dr. Peter H. Diamandis represent two powerful but complementary perspectives on that challenge.

One helped build one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, proving that championships are won through trust, teamwork, and relentless execution under pressure. The other has spent decades helping organizations understand the technologies that will redefine the future. Together, they embody the central theme of Champions of Manufacturing 2026: how to build organizations capable of winning today while preparing for tomorrow.

“Manufacturing is entering one of the most consequential periods in its history,” said Sanjay Brahmawar, CEO of QAD | Redzone. “The conversation is no longer about whether AI will transform our industry. It already is. The real question is which leaders will have the vision, courage, and ability to turn that technology into lasting competitive advantage.”

“Scottie Pippen understands what it takes to build teams that perform when the stakes are highest. Dr. Peter H. Diamandis challenges us to think bigger about the future we are creating. Combined with the experiences our customers will share on stage, Champions of Manufacturing will give leaders both the inspiration and the practical playbook to lead through this new era,” added Brahmawar.

From Championship Teams to Championship Factories

Scottie Pippen’s career offers one of the clearest examples of how extraordinary performance is built; not through individual talent alone, but through culture, discipline and execution. His Q&A discussion will explore the leadership principles that separate good organizations from championship organizations, and why sustained success ultimately depends on helping people perform at their best.

Dr. Peter H. Diamandis will bring a different perspective, helping manufacturers understand how AI, robotics, and exponential technologies are reshaping the industrial landscape and why the decisions leaders make today will determine who thrives over the next decade.

“The pace of change has never been this fast, and it will never be this slow again,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis. “The manufacturers that embrace AI now won’t simply keep up. They will define what leadership in their industries looks like for years to come.”

A Manufacturing Event Built for the AI Era

Champions of Manufacturing 2026 will bring together manufacturing executives, operational leaders, product experts, and customers for three days of immersive experiences, practical learning, and real-world success stories.

Attendees will hear directly from manufacturers already using ChampionAI, Redzone, and Adaptive Applications to deliver measurable gains in productivity, throughput, labor efficiency and profitability. This year’s event will also welcome the QAD User Groups, bringing executive strategy sessions and hands-on product experiences together under one roof.

While much of the market continues to talk about AI’s potential, Champions of Manufacturing is focused on something more important: the proof. This is not an event about futuristic concepts or distant possibilities. It is a gathering for the manufacturers who are putting AI to work today, and for the leaders determined to build organizations that can win tomorrow.

Learn more and register here.

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About QAD | Redzone

QAD | Redzone is redefining manufacturing and supply chains through its intelligent, adaptive platform that connects people, processes, and technology into a single System of Action. With three core pillars — Redzone (frontline empowerment), Adaptive Applications (the intelligent backbone), and ChampionAI (agentic AI for manufacturing) — QAD | Redzone helps manufacturers operate with Champion Pace, achieving measurable productivity, resilience, and growth in as little as 90 days. To learn more, visit www.qad.com or call [phone]. Find us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.