MT Magazine July/August 2024

FEATURE STORY

THE IMTS ISSUE

14

The Windy City has welcomed such spectacles as the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World (its dedication ceremonies were held in 1892). Then, 40 years later, the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair opened under the banner of A Century of Progress International Exposition. Events like these have profoundly enriched Chicago’s history, leaving a lasting impact that continues to shape the city – and IMTS itself. And Then the Railroads In 1948 there was a less well-known but still significant expo in Chicago: the Chicago Railroad Fair. “The Railroad Fair?” you wonder. Yes. The reason why this event is important is because it was attended by Colonel Robert McCormick, who happened to be the owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune (back when print newspapers were tremendously important to their local communities and newspaper publishers had Big Ideas). McCormick, seeing the success of the Railroad Fair, decided that the city needed an expo hall, so he began lobbying for it. By 1955 Illinois approved construction of an expo center, and in 1958, it issued $41.8 million in construction bonds. Building began in 1959, and the McCormick Place expo center was completed in 1960. The first event? The Modern Living Home and Flower Show. And that was just the start of many that took advantage of the modern amenities provided by the exhibitions-dedicated structure on the shore of Lake Michigan. Then, in January 1967, the building burned down. New Beginnings and Architectural Lessons Construction of a new McCormick Place began in 1968. The reconstruction reused foundations and portions of what had remained of the original building.* In 1971, McCormick Place reopened. It was designed in the style of legendary architect Mies van der Rohe, the originator of the famous quote "Less is more." The first event held in the new building was the 63rd annual Chicago Auto Show. But since 1971, McCormick Place seems to have adopted a “more is more” policy, as the facilities have continuously expanded, reaching roughly 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space in its four buildings – one of the largest interconnected facilities in the world. It now offers more exhibit space than any other facility in the Western Hemisphere. McCormick, who died in 1955, before the original building that was named for him opened, is smiling somewhere: His idea put Chicago on the global map when it comes to events. As has IMTS.

The ‘Modern Era’ In 1927, IMTS, then known as the National Machine Tool Builders’ Exposition, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where it would stay for nearly a half century. In 1972, it migrated to McCormick Place, where it has stayed ever since. Those who are fans of NASCAR know that in 1972, the racing series entered what is known as the “modern era.” Arguably, the same thing occurred with IMTS that year, when the show moved to its new home in Chicago and an agreement was signed with the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries (CECIMO) so that IMTS would occur every even-numbered year and the European Exposition Mondiale de la Machine Outil (EMO) show would be held on odd years. Like NASCAR, whose modern era has seen the racing series’ focus turn toward its fans, IMTS in its modern era has focused on its attendees. Then, in 1996, Peter Eelman joined AMT as the person in charge of IMTS. Now the chief experience officer, Eelman and his team have 13 events under their belts, with 2024 being the 14th. For many modern-day manufacturers who attend IMTS, his shows are the only ones they’ve ever known. All About the Details Another Mies van der Rohe quote is “God is in the details.” As an architect, he meant that all the little things that make up the whole are essential, so it is important to pay attention to them. Eelman and his team take this approach in executing IMTS, ensuring that attendees have as seamless a visit as possible, whether this means arranging equipment and systems into 10 technology sectors (e.g., Additive Manufacturing, Tooling & Workholding, etc.) so that spending time at the show is efficient, or making it absolutely clear where one needs to go to catch the Metra train. It is all about the details. Each IMTS is individually architected. The McCormick Place Lakeside Center (aka the East Hall). It was built in 1968, as the original McCormick Place building on that site burned down the previous year. The style of the building was influenced by architect Mies van der Rohe, who taught at the nearby Illinois Institute of Technology. “Less is more,” he said. At IMTS, more is more. (Image: McCormick Place)

Eelman emphasizes that if one attended the show in 2022, they will want to attend in 2024 because show staff work to make every show different in some meaningful way. This has led to not only the creation of AMT’s Emerging Technology Center, where people are able to see the advances in industries ranging from automotive to

*The original building and its replacement is now known as Lakeside Center, aka the East Building. There are also the North and South buildings, which are connected by the Grand Concourse, and the West Building. Combined, there is 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, with 1.2 million on one level.