Mesago Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Formnext and Messe Frankfurt North America announce a strategic partnership with AMT (Association For Manufacturing Technology) and Gardner Business Media. The new show will become the event in the United States dedicated to all aspects of additive manufacturing.
Since 2015, Formnext has become the world's leading additive manufacturing (AM) show, with exhibitor and visitor numbers almost quadrupling in just five years. To enhance, expand and explore opportunities in the global market, Mesago Messe Frankfurt is pleased to have found the ideal partners for Formnext in Chicago in GBM (Gardner Business Media Inc.) and AMT (Association For Manufacturing Technology). The trade fair will take place from 14 to 16 March 2025 at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
With the continued and accelerated adoption of additive manufacturing by new and established manufacturers in the United States, Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT and GBM will host a series of Formnext-branded events to expand their presence in the US. Formnext's first presentation to the US market will be at IMTS - The International Manufacturing Technology Show - which will be held in Chicago, McCormick Place, the premier venue for business trade shows in North America, from 12-17 September 2022.
Glynn Fletcher, President of EOS North America, says: "EOS has been associated with Formnext and AMT for many years. The combined strengths of these two organisations provide exceptional value to additive manufacturing and motivate further mutual exchange."
Organised by Formnext, the AM4U Area will be featured at IMTS 2022 in the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion. The AM4U Area is a multi-use part of the show that allows industry experts to present topics such as seminars for the adoption of additive manufacturing in industry, as well as entrepreneurship and business models for start-ups and young companies. In 2023, the AM4U Area organised by Formnext will be held together with the Additive Manufacturing Conference in Austin, Texas.
In 2024, Formnext Forum Austin will be launched as a brand new addition to the Formnext portfolio. This event will feature a series of themed seminars and accompanying exhibition, covering a variety of next-generation additive manufacturing and smart industrial production solutions. The forum will provide relevant industry knowledge to exhibitors, speakers and attendees, as well as numerous business and networking opportunities. Austin, as the "birthplace" of modern 3D printing and current industry hotspot, is an ideal location for Forum 2024.
"Formnext is clearly the premier additive manufacturing event in Europe, and we are very excited to partner with Formnext to bring these world-class events to the US," said Douglas Woods, president of AMT.
The schedule for the new series of events in the US is as follows:
2022: The AM4U Area, organised by Formnext, can be attended at IMTS 2022 from Sept. 12-17, 2022; the Additive Manufacturing Conference 2022 will continue to coincide with IMTS 2022. The Additive Manufacturing Conference is owned and operated by Gardner Business Media.
2023: The AM4U Area, organised by Formnext, will be held in conjunction with the Additive Manufacturing Conference in Austin, Texas.
2024: Formnext Forum Austin is launched as a stand-alone conference (conference with exhibition) in collaboration with Gardner Business Media and AMT; at IMTS 2024, the AM4U Area organised by Formnext and the Additive Manufacturing Conference 2024 will be held together.
2025: The official inaugural Formnext USA Chicago show will take place at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA from 14-16 March 2025.
The show builds on the world-class reputation of Formnext, showcasing industrial 3D printing equipment, post-processing solutions, software, service providers, materials and more. This event promises to be a unique collaboration between Mesago Messe Frankfurt, GBM and AMT, leveraging each partner's different areas of expertise to achieve maximum impact and reach. The group is also inviting other organisations to participate in the Chicago event, as the goal is to build a community of leaders with broad appeal to the AM and manufacturing industries.
AMT, a promoter of growth and expansion in manufacturing technology, brings to the partnership its decades of experience organising IMTS - The International Manufacturing Technology Show, the largest manufacturing technology event in America. The association's members represent not only North America's leading technology suppliers, but also a growing and prominent community of additive manufacturing companies.
Marketing and publicity for the event will be handled by Gardner Business Media, a leading media and event producer in North America focused on durable goods manufacturing. Gardner has several long-established media brands in the industry that will support Formnext USA Chicago, including Additive Manufacturing, Modern Machine Shop, Plastics Technology, MoldMaking Technology and Composites World.
"Gardner reaches more than 350,000 manufacturing decision makers as qualified print subscribers in North America; we will bring the full force of our brands to bear to ensure the success of this event," said Rick Kline, Jr. president of Gardner Business Media.
Gardner sees additive manufacturing poised for growth in the coming years. Not only does it offer unprecedented opportunities to improve design, material properties and lead times, but it also offers a digital production solution in the event of supply chain disruptions.
Petra Haarburger, Managing Director of Mesago Messe Frankfurt, Germany, the organiser of Formnext in Frankfurt, clarifies, "Formnext USA Chicago offers both North American and international additive manufacturing manufacturers an exceptional platform in the highly dynamic US market."
Sascha Wenzler, Divisional Director for Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt, added: "The success of Formnext as a global meeting place in Europe is overwhelming, and we are confident that the combination of additive manufacturing, materials and innovative process technologies will also perfectly meet the current and future needs of the North American manufacturing industry."
Formnext 2021 took place in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 16-19 and once again welcomed the global AM community, with exciting plans for the Formnext series of events in the U.S. market leading up to Formnext USA Chicago 2025 with AMT and Gardner Business Media.