Speakers from Walmart WMT.N, Colgate-Palmolive CL.N, Toyota 7203.T and other companies will discuss their supply-chain strategies at the Reuters Events supply chain conference in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday, as inflation and interest rate hikes threaten to tip the economy into recession. However, "there's still a pretty big mess out there," said Ryan Patel, senior fellow at Claremont Graduate University's Drucker School of Management. "Freight costs, logistics, have gone down significantly," said Mario Guerendo, who oversees global supply chain for vehicle engine maker Cummins Inc CMI.N.