MT Magazine May/June 2023

IMTS

MAY/JUNE 2023

21

IMTS 2024 Floor Plan Released — Changes on Tap

1,815 EXHIBITING COMPANIES

86,307 IMTS 2022 REGISTRANTS BY PETER EELMAN CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER

NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi once said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” With the unveiling of the IMTS 2024 floor plan, I can confidently state that IMTS and the manufacturing industry are catching excellence in many ways. First, the exhibition space rebooking rate is as high as it has ever been, outpacing even IMTS 2018 or the dot-com boom years. Prominent exhibitors are expanding their footprint, and companies that had paused their marketing plans (even prior to the pandemic) have recommitted to IMTS 2024. IMTS: One of a Kind Several factors contribute to this fantastic news, starting with the resilience of our manufacturing companies. Simply put, IMTS is a unique, in-person event. Our friend Andy Snow, senior vice president at EOS North America and a member of the IMTS Show Committee, summarized the benefits powerfully in recent correspondence when he said, “As an exhibitor at IMTS, I can confidently say that it is one of the most valuable trade shows in the manufacturing industry.” Changes to the Floor Plan Catching excellence demands change and growth. In that spirit, the IMTS 2024 floor plan features some big updates. To start, you’ll notice that we replaced the term “pavilions” with technology “sectors.” Organizing IMTS by manufacturing sectors enables visitors to compare capabilities, prices, service – basically everything they need to know from the world’s elite suppliers. A great place to start exploring the sectors at IMTS 2024 is in the new Automation Sector, accelerated by SPS – Smart Production Solutions, which will occupy the North Building. This prominent location reflects the fact that the general public has caught on to the importance of manufacturing (supply chain disruptions and pervasive staff shortages tend to do that). People want to make products in North America, and that means implementing more automation. IMTS has been organically growing as an automation destination, and we have amplified that growth through a new collaboration with the Mesago Messe Frankfurt Group, producers of SPS – Smart Production Solutions (read the news

exhibits throughout all sectors, featuring robotics, advanced

motion systems, vision and imaging, data analytics, systems integration, artificial intelligence, and connected technologies. Locating the Automation Sector in the North Building frees more

space in the East Building for the fast-growing Quality Assurance Sector and the Controls & CAD-CAM Sector, as well as relocating the Fabricating & Laser Sector. All these sectors occupy the main floor (third level) of McCormick Place. An additional change in the East Building to note is the Smartforce Student Summit will relocate to the second level, reducing the distance between the bus drop-off/pickup location and the summit, offering visitors a more convenient experience. More Big Moves; AM Expands As more businesses integrate additive manufacturing (AM) into their operations, they will want to plan more time in the Additive Manufacturing Sector, accelerated by Formnext (another new collaboration; read the news release at IMTS.com/ Formnext). AM, automation, and digital manufacturing are inherently intertwined, which will be reflected in their growing prominence at IMTS 2024. While these technology sectors are being enhanced, one thing will remain the same: Visitors and exhibitors can count on IMTS 2024 being the industry epicenter for discovering ideas, exploring innovations, and reaffirming the value of personal connections. A limited amount of exhibit space remains for IMTS 2024. To learn more, visit IMTS.com/exhibitor. Stay connected with IMTS+, our multi-media content destination. If you have any questions about this information, please contact Peter at peelman@IMTS.com.

release at IMTS.com/AutomationSector). As a result, IMTS 2024 will have even more