TPT January 2012

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44 January 2012 ›
Industry News
FABTECH
2011 breaks
all records
FABTECH 2011 shattered records set by
previous shows, with the number of buyers
walking the floor, educational conference
attendance and the overall square footage
of exhibit space. The recently concluded
four-day exposition and conference at
Chicago’s McCormick Place welcomed
35,457 attendees; a 35 per cent increase
over 2009 – the last time FABTECH was
held in Chicago.
FABTECH is North America’s most
comprehensive event for metal forming,
fabricating, welding and finishing com-
panies. The 2011 show had more than
1,300 exhibitors, filling a record 522,000 net
square feet and attendees from more than
80 countries.
“Exhibitors were enthusiastic about
the activity level on the show floor and
are looking ahead to 2012,” Mark Hoper,
FABTECH show manager, said. “Returning
exhibitors were happy that leads were
up from shows of the past few years and
numerous first-time exhibitors proclaimed
that the decision to exhibit was a great
choice for them.”
Many long-time exhibitors described
FABTECH 2011 as their best show ever.
“We’ve been exhibiting at FABTECH for
at least 20 years, and in my 10-year tenure,
this show was our busiest. We received a
record number of leads, and we were able
to get our message in front of thousands,”
Betsy Van Duyne, marketing manager,
Hypertherm, Inc said. “The results from
this show should prove to sceptics that
manufacturing is alive and well in North
America!”
The many new exhibitors were also
impressed with the value they received from
the show.
“We were first time exhibitors at
FABTECH, and it was an overwhelming
experience,” Jim Gillespie, marketing
manager at Fast-Rite International, Inc, a
distributor of fasteners, stampings, fittings
and assemblies, said.
“We have over 500 leads to process,
and already have begun receiving orders.
Considering it typically takes a year to
complete a new-customer sale, we’re quite
happy.”
Buyers were exposed to more than
500 new products and more than 75 new
“green” products and technologies – a
new feature on the FABTECH agenda. All
products featured as “green” had to qualify
as being more energy efficient, reducing
waste and or providing a safer and healthier
environment for employees, customers and
the community.
According to Chris Kuehl, PhD,
economic analyst for FMA and moderator of
FABTECH’s State of the Industry session,
“Attendees were preparing for a better year
in 2012 and were investing to be ready for
it. They were engaged and were finding
ways to do things better, faster and more
efficiently.”
Attendee Al Popovich, owner, Accurate
Design and Fabrication, Custer Park,
Illinois, is one attendee for whom FABTECH
opened new opportunities. “We found
some excellent new equipment and met
manufacturers we weren’t aware of before.
It will definitely make a difference in our
future business decisions. Knowing what
is available outside our usual capabilities
should open some markets to our shop.”
Mr Popovich’s only concern was the limited
time he had available to attend the show.
“There’s no way to see everything you want
in one day!”
FABTECH 2011 was the first show at
McCormick Place to take advantage of
the recently reinstated work rules which
allowed exhibitors to perform many
tasks themselves that previously would
have been union carpenter or electrician
jurisdiction work.
“Exhibitors cited the improved labour
conditions and the new cost savings as key
to their decisions to bring a record number
of machines, equipment and multi-storey
displays,” John Catalano, show manager
explains. “The new policies strengthen
FABTECH’s commitment to Chicago for
future shows.”
The 2012 show will be held in Las Vegas
in November and returns to McCormick
Place in 2013.
FABTECH 2011
Website: