IMTS 2020 cancelled; first time since WWII

IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show has announced that it has cancelled IMTS 2020 because of health and safety requirements imposed by the state of Illinois for holding conventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.HANNOVER MESSE USA, that was to run concurrently with IMTS is also cancelled,

In lieu of the traditional biennial show, IMTS will offer two digital programs, IMTS Network and IMTS Spark, over the next several months.

IMTS is fully committed to returning to McCormick Place as scheduled for its normal rotation, September 13-18, 2022.

“The show has been held uninterrupted for more than 80 years, but now the global coronavirus health crisis requires the cancellation of what would have been the 34th edition of IMTS for the health and safety of our exhibitors, audiences, and local business community,” says Peter R. Eelman, vice president & CXO at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS. “Our organization and its members take immense pride in presenting one of the world’s largest manufacturing technology events, one that dates back to 1927. The cancellation is especially poignant because the show was poised to offer an unmatched breadth and depth of resources to help industry rethink, reestablish, and reengage with supply chains disrupted by COVID-19.”

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Visitors who have registered for IMTS 2020 have the choice to receive a refund on registration or transfer their registration to a tax-deductible donation to Miles For Manufacturing, where every dollar is given to programs that prepare students for careers in manufacturing technology. Exhibitors will receive direct communications from IMTS.

Digital experiences
The IMTS Network will live-stream a wide variety of features and human-interest stories from the Manufacturing Technology sector. IMTS Spark, a new program, will be a comprehensive digital platform that connects IMTS exhibitors and visitors, provides educational and networking opportunities and offers first rate experiences, will launch in the near future.

IMTS had already taken action to help manufacturers address supply chain issues created by COVID-19. The IMTS.com/supplychain microsite – ReBuilding the Supply Chain – shows OEMs how to rethink their current operations, how they can reengage with suppliers and secure trading partners, and how they can reestablish connections for a more localized industrial base. It includes a brief history of why the supply chain disruption occurred, and IMTS has mapped out future content to show steps that can be taken to secure the supply chain moving forward.

HANNOVER MESSE USA 2020 cancelled

HANNOVERMESSE USA, the North American staging of HANNOVER MESSE, the world’s leading industrial trade show for digitalization, announced today that this year’s trade show and educational event is canceled due to the published guidelines for reopening the state of Illinois economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. HANNOVER MESSE USA is held simultaneously with the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), which was canceled on June 8, 2020. Hannover Fairs USA, the organizer of HANNOVER MESSE USA 2020, planned to shine a spotlight on Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions that support post-pandemic manufacturing. HANNOVER MESSE USA will return alongside IMTS in the East Building of Chicago’s McCormick Place from September 12-17, 2022.

“Along with our partners at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, we are sad about the need to cancel the entire event. However, the wellbeing of our exhibitors, attendees and staff remains our primary concern,” said Larry Turner, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA. This year’s HANNOVER MESSE USA, would have covered 130,000ft² of exhibit space and was to feature technologies and solutions that allow manufacturers to securely run their facilities remotely, thereby limiting the number of workers on the factory floor. The show was slated to offer an expanded educational conference plus on-floor education sessions highlighting today’s top Industry 4.0 and IIoT visionaries.

As a result of the cancellation, IMTS expects to host expanded digital programs over the next several months. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2020 exhibitors and thought leaders will be able to participate in these digital programs to network and share technical knowledge with the manufacturing community. Additionally, select HANNOVER MESSE USA 2020 exhibitors are slated to participate in HANNOVER MESSE Digital Days, a new two-day digital event focused on industrial transformation in the fields of industry, energy and logistics during and after the pandemic and economic shutdown. HANNOVER MESSE Digital Days takes place virtually from July 14-15, 2020, offering exciting keynotes from business, science and politics plus panel discussions, live chats, networking and innovation presentations. To sign up for the digital event, go to https://signup.hannovermesse.digital/.