Nothing is more corrosive to business than doubt. It muddies decisionmaking, stalls investment and undermines productivity.
Confidence, on the other hand, is an elixir that propels business leaders into the future. There will be no shortage of confidence in North America’s manufacturing future on display at the 2017 IndustryWeek Manufacturing & Technology Conference & Expo in Cleveland, May 8-10. Manufacturers from across the continent will be gathering to hear about leading business practices, view exciting new technologies and network with leaders from some of the top performing factories in the world. Here's some of what's in store.
Best Plants: It starts with the winners of the annual Best Plants contest. Sure, they live in the real world of global competition, rapid technology change, a constant hunt for talent and ever more demanding customers. But these plants from diverse sectors show a common response to these challenges – confidence that they can create winning business plans, mobilize and engage their workforces to implement them and employ the right operations methods and technology solutions to deliver high-quality products on time.
We’ll be honoring the Best Plants winners at the annual awards luncheon on May 9. They will be sharing their frontline stories and expertise throughout the conference.
Keynotes: Leading figures in the manufacturing world will deliver high-energy presentations that offer their unique perspectives on the rapidly changing industrial world. Included in this all-star lineup are:
- Raj Nair, Executive Vice President, Product Development and Chief Technology Officer, Ford
- Brett Wood, President and CEO, Toyota Material Handling North America
- Billy Ray Taylor, Director of Manufacturing, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
Conferences: Attendees to the 2017 M&T show can be confident that they’ll have a bigger range of education and information options available to them than ever before. The expanded M&T show is actually the host for three different conferences:
The Manufacturing & Technology Conference is the successor to IndustryWeek’s Best Plants conference and includes six tracks on:
- Continuous Improvement Fundamentals
- Advanced Continuous Improvement
- Smart Manufacturing
- Workforce
- Leadership
- Manufacturing Technology Strategies
The M&T conference is squarely aimed at manufacturers who want to get better. The six tracks will feature 36 sessions ranging from “How Honda North America Is Bridging the Skills Gap and Building an Equipment Tech Team” to “Leadership GPS: Aligning Goals, People and Systems for Sustainable Success.” As always, the focus of these sessions is on having manufacturing leaders share their expertise with their peers so that they can implement leading-edge operations methods and technologies, as well as improve their leadership and human resource practices.
New in 2017 is the Industrial Design & Engineering Show which unites the engineering community, from design engineers and plant managers to the top companies and engineering firms, to learn and exchange application methods for the latest emerging technologies.
The main purpose of the ID&E show is to help engineers better understand emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and 3D printing and how to translate them into real world applications.
ID&E will have three tracks on:
- Internet of Things
- Manufacturing Practices
- Assisted Engineering
The 2017 MESA International North American Conference brings a global community of thought leaders and industry professionals to Cleveland to help you discover the real value of Smart Manufacturing. MESA is a 26-year old not-for-profit industry association helping manufacturers understand the role and value of IT-based solutions in manufacturing. Its professional networks, Working Groups, subject matter expertise and educational materials are non-commercial and aimed at sharing best practices to raise the knowledge baseline for all of its members. MESA will produce M&T’s Smart Manufacturing track and showcase the business value of solving plant and enterprise-level manufacturing challenges with IT-based solutions.
Exposition: Matching the lively conference sessions at the 2017 M&T Show will be an expo floor packed with products and information to help manufacturers run more effective and profitable businesses. From drones and robots to virtual reality and 3D printing, the M&T Expo lets attendees get hands-on with the hottest manufacturing technologies and innovations. The expo floor mixes today's industrial product innovations with tomorrow's disruptive breakthroughs in an engaging, interactive experience that is unlike any other.
Attendees can go head-to-head with industrial robots in pick-and-place contests, explore virtual manufacturing worlds, and experience the power of augmented reality while browsing the latest traditional gear and tools designed to add new productivity and quality to their operations.
Plant Tours: Benchmark your operations and learn best practices from world-class manufacturing facilities. Plant tours include a behind-the-scenes look at each facility's continuous improvement initiatives, use of technology, and workforce best practices. Each offers a guided tour of local manufacturers and provides time for questions and answers at the conclusion of the tour.
Among the tours available to M&T attendees are: ArcelorMittal, Lincoln Electric, Rockwell Automation, MakerGear and Thogus Products.
Networking: Don’t worry, we’ve saved some time for networking and fun along with this intensive exposure to advanced manufacturing. On Monday evening, stop by the Expo for the opening reception and network with other attendees, exhibitors and sponsors over drinks and appetizers. Then on Tuesday, attend the special night out at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the spectacular I.M. Pei-designed museum featuring the greatest artists, producers and others from the rock scene. Whether your taste runs to the Beatles or Marvin Gaye, The Doors or Public Enemy, you’ll find a wealth of artifacts, interactive exhibits, films and more.
Visit http://www.mfgtechshow.com for complete information and to register.
