Make plans to attend The Fabricator’s Manufacturers & Suppliers Event

The Fabricator’s Manufacturers & Suppliers Event makes it possible to learn about fabricating technologies without having to attend FABTECH.

Finding time to get away from the shop can be difficult. But when the time away is connected with potential investments that might make the company more efficient and create more manufacturing capacity, that’s time well spent.

With that in mind, it’s no wonder that so many metal fabricators attend FABTECH on an annual basis. More than 40,000 made the trek to Chicago for FABTECH 2023. If you have some time this fall, keep in mind that FABTECH moves to Orlando, Fla., Oct. 15-17. Attendees get the opportunity to see fabricating technologies in person and make the rounds to see who has the machinery that makes the most sense for them. It’s no secret that people that make things for a living like to “kick the tires” on equipment before they make a big investment.

But the reality of the situation is that not all metal fabricators get to attend FABTECH. In fact, a reader research project for The Fabricator in 2023 revealed that only 35% of subscribers surveyed attended FABTECH in the previous three years. Again, not everyone has the time to extricate themselves from the day-to-day activity of a metal fabricating company.

That’s why The Fabricator is offering a smaller, more intimate alternative for fabricators located near Chicago. The Fabricator’s Manufacturers and Suppliers Event (MSE), a one-day, tabletop event in Schaumburg, Ill., on March 26, allows attendees to drive in, park for free, network with subject matter experts about new fabricating technology, and learn something from guest speakers. It’s a relaxed, no-pressure environment where a metal fabricator can quickly and efficiently gather information.

In addition to visiting with the event’s sponsors—Mitsubishi Laser, Sharpe Products, and TRUMPF—attendees will be able to interact with an expected 50+ vendors to discuss such things as press brakes, laser cutting machines, tube bending machines, beam processing systems, plasma cutting machines, laser marking, automated deburring equipment, tooling, and manufacturing software.

MSE also will include some great presentations. To open the event at 9 a.m., a Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago representative will be the keynote speaker, providing an overview of the current economy and where it might be headed in the near term. That will be followed by presentations on the aerospace, electric vehicle, and defense markets from the editors of GIE Media’s Manufacturing Group. Later in the afternoon, a panel discussion with all of the speakers will look at North America’s manufacturing sector and what challenges await.

The Fabricator’s MSE is perfect for those metal fabricators who can’t afford to be away from the shop for more than a day. Make plans to visit the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg on March 26.

For more information, visit here.