The Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show, owned by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and held Oct. 17-20 in Toronto, not only scored a 10-percent increase in attendance, compared with its 2009 event, but it also debuted a larger showfloor, sold out its conference and had 80 percent renewals for the next show.

All of these successes reflect the growing optimism of the Canadian manufacturing industry in general, according to CMTS show organizers.

“We took some big steps this year, using the latest in social media to create a more personalized experience for delegates, while expanding the showfloor to include significant educational and networking components, and our expectations were exceeded,” said Nick Samain, SME’s event manager.

He added, “People told us they liked what they saw and the result is an unprecedented 80 percent of exhibit space already rebooked for 2013 when we move back to the Toronto International Centre for an even more expansive event.”

Businessman Kevin O’Leary, known for his stints on CBC Television’s “Dragon’s Den” and ABC Television’s “Shark Tank”, gave the keynote address and told attendees it’s time to look beyond the U.S. to potential export markets in Brazil, India and Asia.

He also encouraged ongoing investment in technology, saying, “People think that automation is killing jobs in Canada, when in fact, it’s enhancing the value of jobs you can provide.”

Another key program pushed at the show was Take Back Manufacturing (TBM), an aggressive campaign launched by the Toronto chapter of SME to get government, education, business and media representatives working together to bring off-shore manufacturing back to North America.

Here are a few more show highlights:

- a 500-exhibit trade show featuring 150 new products and live demonstrations

- an Automotive Summit sponsored by the APMA, led by automotive insight journalist and TV host John McElroy

- a sold-out technical conference featuring sessions on a variety of topics, from innovations in medical manufacturing and the latest in machining equipment, to advances in energy efficiency and sustainability

“It’s clear that the significant increase in both exhibitor and visitor interest mirrors the growth that is currently taking place in the Canadian manufacturing industry,” Samain said, pointing to a recent Statistics Canada report that states manufacturing sales are on the rise.

He added, “On the heels of the show’s success, moving forward, we expect to see even more opportunities for initiatives that were introduced at the 2011 event, including expanded networking programs, more technology, enabling greater connectivity between buyers and sellers, new student programs, university partnerships and hands-on access to the latest innovative new products in the marketplace."