Four Associations: One Show
-- Tradeshow Week, 4/28/2008
Four manufacturing trade groups are joining forces to produce a single tradeshow for their industry.
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Fabricators and Manufacturers Assn. Intl., American Welding Society and Precision Metalforming Assn. have formed an alliance that will stage the Fabtech Intl. & AWS Welding Show and Metalform Nov. 15-18, 2009, at Chicago's McCormick Place.
The first three organizations currently organize Fabtech Intl. & AWS Welding Show and PMA organizes Metalform. The next edition of Fabtech, Oct. 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will include a Metalform pavilion.
“This alliance will deliver the broadest array of metalforming, fabricating, cutting and joining technologies for manufacturing,” said Mark Tomlinson, SME executive director. “Manufacturers need comprehensive exposure to every one of these technologies to compete in the global marketplace. Now, they only have to go to one show to find them.”
Association officials said they expect the 2009 show to cover 650,000 net square feet and have 1,300 exhibiting companies. In addition, Fabtech Intl., AWS and PMA will have independent but complementary professional conferences and technical education programs during the 2009 show.
“The combination of PMA's Metalform event with the Fabtech Intl. & AWS Welding Show joins the leading exhibitions in each of the core manufacturing technology areas,” said William Gaskin, PMA president, “and also brings together four leading manufacturing trade associations and societies to better serve their respective industries.”
In 2010, Fabtech Intl. & AWS Welding Show and Metalform will be held Nov. 2-4 in Atlanta.
