by tradesmeninsights | Apr 1, 2015 | Marketing Trends
By Rachel Kerstetter, PR Architect, Sonnhalter
I had the opportunity to attend Automate and ProMat in Chicago on behalf of two Sonnhalter clients (one at each show). A single badge got attendees and exhibitors into both shows, and the combined efforts of the automation and materials handling groups provided for a great event that included keynote presentations from Renee Niemi (director of Android and Chrome Global Business, Google for Work), John Mackey (co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods) and Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple, founder, chairman and CEO of Wheels of Zeus).
Automate
Automate is North America’s broadest automation event. Put on by the Association for Advancing Automation and its trade associations (the Robotic Industries Association and the Motion Control Association), Automate showcased the full spectrum of automation technologies and solutions, ranging from traditional industrial applications to cutting-edge new technology.
Via @NookInd
My travel to the show was delayed by a Chicago snow storm, but the snow didn’t keep anyone away. The media at Automate were busy seeing what’s new in the industry. Our client, Nook Industries, exhibited linear motion solutions including mechanical solutions that can replace hydraulic options, as well as integrated automation systems.
Timed well with March Madness, at several booths, attendees could play basketball against robotic arms. The precision and technology in this part of automation definitely fascinates me … and not just because a robot made me a chocolate chip cookie!
Via robostox.com
Automate takes place every two years and dates back to 1977. End users, OEMs, machine builders, distributors, buyers, researchers and students attended the show coming from more than 30 countries.
Right across the hall at McCormick Place, was ProMat.
ProMat
ProMat is the largest expo for manufacturing and supply chain professionals in North America, showcasing the latest material handling and logistics equipment and technologies. More than 800 exhibitors displayed material handling equipment and systems, packaging and shipping equipment, inventory management and controlling technologies, dock/warehouse equipment and supplies, and many more supply chain management solutions.
The ProMat hall was bustling every time I entered. Product demonstrations reached to great heights and lengths, and the show itself offered education and networking opportunities on top of nearly every supply chain and logistics solution in one place.
Our client, UniCarriers Americas, exhibited its reliable brands of forklifts which provide for more uptime, great value of ownership and are backed by a best-in-class warranty.
Via UniCarriers Americas on Facebook
ProMat also takes place every two years and is powered by the Material Handling Institute.
by tradesmeninsights | Nov 20, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
Rachel Kerstetter, PR Engineer, Sonnhalter
I had the opportunity to attend the Fabtech Expo in Atlanta last week. It was my second year at the show and I am continually impressed by the immensity of this industry. The expo brought together more than 27,000 attendees and 1,400 exhibitors covering more than 500,000 square feet of the Georgia World Congress Center.
Fabtech kicked off on Veterans Day and it couldn’t have been more fitting since Workshops for Warriors was selected as the recipient of the Fabtech Cares campaign. Workshops for Warriors is a wonderful organization that I had the pleasure of writing about last year in Production Machining magazine. Workshops for Warriors, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to training, certifying, and placing veterans in manufacturing careers.
It’s no secret that manufacturers are looking for new sources of talent. At the same time, many former members of our armed forces are looking for work. Workshops for Warriors combines these efforts, giving American veterans and wounded warriors the skills U.S. manufacturing employers need. Veterans who are transitioning back to civilian life provide a vastly untapped talent pool of hardworking and disciplined talent for the manufacturing industry. Fabtech hosted a panel on the first day of the show on bridging the skills gap with veterans. You can see the progress of the fundraiser (and donate) here.
Reshoring of manufacturing was definitely another popular topic. The Day One keynote actually came from Cindi Marsilgio, the VP for U.S. Manufacturing at Wal-Mart. The company has pledged to buy $250 billion of products made in the USA over ten years to encourage the creation of U.S. jobs. (You can read more about the keynote and Day One highlights on Fabtech’s blog.) When walking the show and helping out in various booths, I heard the question, “Where are your products made?” Many purchasing professionals in attendance were seeking domestically produced products to us in their own operations.
Day Two of Fabtech kicked off with four-time Super Bowl champion and Vietnam War veteran, Ricky Bleier, presenting on how attendees can be the best that they can be. Later in the day a panel was held on the industry’s outlook. You can see video and other highlights from Day Two on Fabtech’s blog.
Although I headed back to chilly Cleveland at the end of Day Two, the final day of the show was also packed with a presentation from Google for Work’s Head of Manufacturing, Mike Walton on transforming manufacturing for the digital age. This is a very popular topic, especially with the rise of 3D printing, robotics and digital design capabilities. You can check out some video from the presentation here.
Did you attend Fabtech? What did you think of the show?
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 18, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
Rachel Kerstetter, PR Engineer
The 30th edition of IMTS (The International Manufacturing Technology Show) 2014 was the fourth largest IMTS in history and the largest six-day show ever with registration of 114,147 representing 112 countries. [Read the Press Release Here]
I was able to attend IMTS two days last week and the one main impression that I walked away with is that IMTS is a huge show. Although I made a point to visit all four halls at McCormick Place in Chicago (North, South, East and West), I regret that I could not see it all. I spent most of my time with one of Sonnhalter’s clients in the North hall and kept busy most of the time.
IMTS takes place every two years and the 2014 show stats are impressive:
- 2014 registration was 13.9% higher than 2012
- 2,035 companies exhibited
- Exhibits covered 1.282 square feet
- 17,767 students, educators, administrators and parent chaperones (double the 2012 numbers)
I had the opportunity to talk with exhibitors, attendees and media at the show and all of them had similar comments on IMTS being an impressive and very positive show. Here were some of my personal highlights from the show:
- Every client booth that I visited was busy and their teams reported gathering quality leads
- There were a lot of students who visited the show and they asked excellent questions at the booths such as, “What does your company do?” “How does this machine work?” “Where would I see your products in my everyday life?” and many more. The exhibitors were more than happy to answer their questions.
- Manufacturing growth and technology advances were evident everywhere I turned, from the world’s first 3D-printed car [more on that here] to highly advanced machines and robotics and many other areas that I’m excited to learn more about.
- Having an Insider’s Guide to a trade show city is incredibly helpful. It can be intimidating to find a place to have dinner or grab a drink when a city, like Chicago, has so many options. The Insider’s Guide to Chicago definitely helped many IMTS attendees find some great places.
Did you attend IMTS this year? What were the highlights of the show for you? Will you be at IMTS 2016?
by tradesmeninsights | Jul 17, 2014 | Public Relations
By Rosemarie Ascherl, PR Foreman, Sonnhalter
Industry trade shows are much more than just a chance to get out of the office and mingle with prospective customers, answering questions about the newest product launches with aching feet and dry mouths. Industry trade shows are actually terrific opportunities for connecting with industry trade editors who are attending the trade shows to report on the latest and greatest happenings in their markets.
Here are a few ideas to take advantage of the editors’ presence:
1. Schedule editor meetings at your booth. Contact the trade show management a couple of months ahead of time to obtain its list of registered media. Review the list and identify editors who are key to your industry or who are unfamiliar with your products and services, but should be familiar.
Contact the editors to determine if they are interested in meeting with a company representative. Chances are they will be. Editors want to make the best use of their time at trade shows to gather information that they can share with the readers of their publications, e-newsletters and on their websites, to showcase the latest industry trends. Make sure you are prepared to walk the editor through a short presentation and demonstration of your company’s products or services at the booth and then leave them with a thumb drive or a link to follow-up press materials.
2. Press events. Have a worthy product introduction or key company news? Depending on its newsworthiness [see below], a press event, in the form of a media breakfast, media luncheon or media cocktail hour, is an extremely effective method for conveying important company information and building favorable media relationships.
Depending on the trade show’s rules and regulations, the event can be held at your company’s booth before or after show hours, or at a nearby hotel or restaurant venue. A short presentation by company executives, demonstrations, networking, socializing and the all-important leave-behind press materials can make for a very valuable hour and a half event for key media contacts.
3. Press conferences. Reserved for only the most important of company announcements, it is recommended that press conferences be planned judiciously. While we like to believe that our company’s product improvement is extremely important to the industry—in perspective, it may not be perceived as quite that important to busy editors that are shuffling through multiple invitations and parceling out their precious time.
Make sure a press conference is warranted, because an empty press conference room will be a disappointment to not only the team that planned it, but also the company executives.
Are you taking advantage of these trade show opportunities with industry trade media? If you’re not, you should be!
by tradesmeninsights | Mar 11, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
By Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect, Sonnhalter
I attended the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas (February 4-6, 2014). This was the first time that IBS and NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry (KBIS) were colocated under the Design & Construction Week umbrella. With over 1,700 exhibitors combined, covering more than 650,000 square feet of floor space, these shows delivered more than 75,000 residential construction and design professionals.
Courtesy of Oscar Einzig Photography
Here are three reasons why I thought this year’s show was a success compared to recent years:
- IBS/KBIS Combination – Since both of these shows had been struggling in recent years, it was a no brainer to combine these two shows under the same roof. The synergy of this marriage helped drive renewed energy for both of these shows. Exhibitors benefited from attendees they wouldn’t normally see; that is, KBIS attendees that normally would not have attended IBS and vice versa. It is much easier to walk down to a separate hall than to plan a trip for a separate show. Each show had its own dedicated app to help navigate the vast array of booths, educational sessions and speakers. Although I wished you could search exhibitors for both shows within each respective app.
- Stronger 2014 Outlook – The 2014 forecast for the residential new construction market is the strongest it has been since the 2008/2009 housing collapse. This helped drive overall attendance from the number of exhibitors to the building and design professionals crowding the aisles.
- Las Vegas – Like it or not, Vega is still one of the best places to have industry trade shows of this magnitude. Especially this year, given the terribly cold Midwest/Northeast winter and Polar Vortexes, everyone was more than happy rushing to the sunny and warm desert!
Courtesy of Oscar Einzig Photography
Was IBS a success for you?
