There aren’t many things I love more than a good manufacturing trade show. There’s simply no better place to discover cutting-edge manufacturing technology, learn about new solutions firsthand and swap ideas with other professionals working at the forefront of innovation.
Unfortunately, these events came to a screeching halt during the pandemic and I honestly wasn’t sure they’d make a comeback. There is, after all, something to be said for working from home with my dog, always available at the water cooler with an encouraging tail wag.
I had high hopes, though, and was cautiously optimistic when I saw the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) was coming back to McCormick Place in Chicago last month. I’ve attended the biannual IMTS conference many times over the years, so I was curious as to how the 2022 show would hold up in a post-pandemic and virtual-first world.
Would folks want to get back together post-pandemic? Would technology firms see value in investing big marketing bucks to be live and in person? Is anyone still interested in going, checkbook in hand, to buy a new machine off the exhibition floor?
The simple answer is, “Yes!” More than 80,000 people showed up to put my fears to rest. That’s right – IMTS 2022 had more than 80,000 attendees! Numbers don’t lie, and 80,000 people can’t be wrong. Manufacturing is back and was big and bold in Chicago.
The Manufacturing Industry is Coming Back Together
The manufacturing industry, regardless of vertical, is stronger when innovators come together to brainstorm and share their unique approaches to connecting the factory floor to enterprise software, overcoming supply chain disruption and other trends. That’s what manufacturing technology trade shows like IMTS are all about, and that’s exactly what I saw happening in Chicago.
My primary takeaway from IMTS 2022 and its 80,000+ attendees: There must be extreme confidence among exhibitors that manufacturing is back.
The money spent on booth space and displays was stunning. There were dozens of vendors that spent well in excess of $1 million on this event. Fanuc, Mazak and others had big, bold booths that were mind blowing in both size and impact. Every square foot of all four halls of McCormick Place in Chicago was filled with heavy equipment.
There were giant robots throwing around a new Corvette (as seen below), metal chips flying and plenty of heavy-duty live machines.
Many of these generalized technology shows have shrunk over the last 20 years, but this felt like 1992. The website claims that there were 82,000 registrants and I believe it, based on the traffic on the show floor. Machine tool vendors used to come to the show and expected to sell the demo models of 5-axis milling machines (high six-figure machines) and there were more than a few signs on machines marked as “SOLD”. It was like a trip back in time.
My fervent hope is that this show reflects the first of many dominoes to fall. If manufacturers are out investing in a new surface mill, that means that they see growing opportunities to deliver machined parts. If those machined parts are gears or housing then that means there is a growing need for more transmissions. The need for more transmissions means that the vehicle demand is roaring back. A healthy hierarchy of manufacturing and an associated supply chain drives everything from the product itself to packaging and transportation and other services.
Software Solutions Found a Niche at IMTS 2022
IMTS, a biannual event, traditionally focused on heavy industrial applications, particularly around metal cutting and machining. In fact, the acronym IMTS used to stand for International Machine Tool Show, but has been recast as the International Manufacturing Technology Show. This show has plenty of appeal to automotive tier suppliers and rust belt manufacturers, but it’s also a useful event for understanding trends in the industrial space – I always learn something new. If metal cutting and machining are your bread and butter, then this show was everything you could have asked for.
The secondary takeaway was the significant presence of “softer” technologies around the show floor. ERP, supply chain and MES technologies have become an integral part of the industrial manufacturing landscape.
By my count, there were at least 40 software vendors claiming to have a software solution geared for manufacturing at the planning and operational level. Some of these vendors were completely new to me. Nearly all of these were in a focused exhibition hall area that was a partner show with Hannover Messe. For decades, Hannover Messe had been the premier automation show held in Germany. Over the past decades as singularly focused technology shows have lost momentum, joint events like the one between IMTS and Hannover Messe have taken off.
IMTS Also Catered to Manufacturing Software
The good news for attendees was that there were technology propositions across the spectrum of manufacturing. Less than a handful of mega-software companies were present. However, purpose-built solutions like ERP for job shops or MES for additive manufacturing presented their wares with a specific value proposition. These specific, tailored offerings by definition are only of interest to a small fraction of the 80,000 attendees. However, for that set of folks that have that specific need, it was an ideal way to engage at an intimate level with the technology and the possibilities.
Participating in such events can be a good move for software vendors that come with the right expectations. Contact on the show floor is but the first step in developing a mutually beneficial relationship. I doubt that there were many “SOLD” signs on ERP or other software technology offerings from the show floor. The world has transitioned to an on-line shopping first step for so much of what we acquire. Most of the early evaluation and consideration of software technology is done via the internet or an infinite number of available webinars. I was appreciative of the opportunity to engage with software technology providers one-to-one and found better value in a 10-minute conversation than an antiseptic webinar.
It will be interesting to observe the continuing evolution and relevancy of in-person events. QAD has invested in focused Connect events on a smaller, regional scale that have received positive reviews. Ultimately, the true test of the value will be whether all these firms that invested heavily in IMTS 2022 return for 2024. As for me, I plan on returning!
