PARTS FORUM, North America's only summit for parts pricing and operations, returns with keynotes from AEM, Siemens Energy, and leading pricing strategists.
Chicago, May 22, 2026 - PARTS FORUM 2026, the premier event for aftermarket and spare parts leaders in industrial manufacturing, will convene on June 2 in Chicago for a one-day gathering focused on the industry's most urgent challenge: closing the gap between what manufacturers leave on the table and what best-in-class operators capture.
The 2026 program, themed "Close the Gap: Where Aftermarket Meets Excellence," brings together OEM aftermarket executives, pricing leaders, and parts operations professionals for candid conversations, practitioner-led sessions, and networking with peers facing similar challenges across industries.
“This is not a vendor conference, it's a community gathering. The people in this room are solving problems no one else in their organizations fully understands. PARTS FORUM gives them a place to learn from each other, not just listen to presentations."
Speakers
Danilo Zatta, Pricing Expert, defined by The Financial Times 'one of the world's leading pricing minds', shares both insights into innovative pricing models and pricing tactics and then share a transformation roadmap for aftersales pricing as well as concrete quick wins to boost profits with parts pricing.
“Most companies manage spare parts as inventory; the leaders manage them as a strategic profit engine. I am excited to share how to increase aftersales pricing maturity also with concrete quick wins to boost profits.”
John Somers, VP Construction & Utility Sector at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), will examine the industrial evolution and the shifting fundamentals transforming the industrials business. His session explores how understanding these shifts is critical to crafting the tactics necessary for success across the value chain.
"Our industry sits at a pivotal moment where understanding customer expectations, anticipating trends, and unlocking efficiencies across the value chain will define success. By collaborating and learning from each other, we create a stronger, more resilient aftermarket ecosystem where everyone wins."
Meridith Zaltsberg, Head of Sales Operations North America at Siemens Energy, takes a different angle: the strategic power of getting prices down on the right SKUs. She'll share how correcting just 8% of buyout parts volume resolved roughly 50% of customer pricing complaints, and why a few visible "signal" SKUs anchor portfolio-wide trust.
Matt Marone, Vice President of Product Strategy at MARKT-PILOT, will explore why better data alone won't fix parts pricing, and what it takes to close the intelligence gap. His session examines how transparency, substitution, and portfolio complexity have fundamentally changed what pricing decisions require, and why organizations that capture every pricing decision as proprietary learning will outpace those that don't.
The program also features a panel discussion and additional speaking sessions with aftermarket leaders from across the manufacturing industry.
Experience MP ONE™ Live
Attendees will experience live demonstrations of MP ONE, MARKT-PILOT's Pricing Performance platform, featuring new capabilities that help manufacturers bridge the gap between static pricing processes and dynamic market realities. These hands-on sessions show how MP ONE unifies market intelligence, pricing decisions, and performance measurement, unlocking the era of growth for aftermarket and spare parts.
Networking and Community
Beyond the sessions, PARTS FORUM is designed as a place where aftermarket leaders learn from one another. Now in its third year, PARTS FORUM has established itself as the only event in North America dedicated exclusively to the aftermarket parts community. It has quickly become the must-attend event for aftermarket leaders serious about transforming their pricing and parts operations.
Event Details
- Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
- Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, followed by dinner reception
- Pre-Event Reception: Monday, June 1, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Cindy's Rooftop, skyline views and meaningful connections
- Venue: The IDEA Studio, 111 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago
The venue offers sweeping views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, with networking opportunities designed to facilitate connections between sessions.
Close the Gap: Where Aftermarket Meets Excellence
Know the market. Win the moment. With Pricing Performance.
The gap between good aftermarket and great aftermarket is closing. Come be part of it.
MARKT-PILOT also hosts PARTS SUMMIT, the European counterpart to PARTS FORUM, taking place October 15, 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany.
About MARKT-PILOT
MARKT-PILOT makes pricing effortless for machine manufacturers. MP ONE is the unified Pricing Performance platform that connects market intelligence, pricing decisions, and performance measurement to help teams improve net price realization, protect margin, and drive profitable growth. Trusted by 200+ industrial manufacturers worldwide, MARKT-PILOT is headquartered in Stuttgart with additional presence across Europe and North America. www.markt-pilot.com
