The 2014 MD&M West show brought together more than 35,000 attendees and exhibitors interacting with more than 2,100 exhibits on an impressive 305,000 square feet of showfloor space.

“We have seen not only an increase in repeat visitors from last year, but also many visitors coming for more than just one day,” said Roger Burg, vice president/Design & Manufacturing Portfolio Director at UBM Canon.

He added, “We have been diligent in creating a conference environment that focuses on not only the attendee/exhibitor interaction, but also quality networking and learning opportunities.”

Stephen Corrick, executive vice president and managing director at UBM Canon concurred, adding, “The focus for MD&M West is on a ‘transactional plus’ type of engagement, with multiple types of interactions available for the attendee to experience.  That provides more reasons to make the commitment to attend the show for multiple days.”

This year’s show ran Feb. 11-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center and focused on technology trends for manufacturing, both on the showfloor and in the educational sessions.

“This year provided a variety of education for the attendee,” Corrick said.  “The focus now is on robotics, automation and 3-D printing. And these trends were reflected in the Learning Labs (modular sessions) as well as the exhibitor lectures on the showfloor”

Exhibitor David VanKammen, product manager at Domino Amjet, said, “You can see the incremental change in the attendee at the show, being more knowledgeable of the trends in the industry, and the show helps provide that knowledge base. There is also a shift to a more national and international type of attendee on the show floor.”

Ettendee Jose Gonzalez of Fragrance West, added, “The attendance this year has been great, especially around the in-booth lectures provided by several exhibitors. It has also been interesting to hear the conversation continue outside the show floor, in line at the food trucks or sitting outside with a coffee for a quick break.”

For a few exhibitors, there was less traffic to their booths, but they still were pleased with the show. “We have had less traffic to our booth than we anticipated, but the quality of the lead has helped make up for that,” said exhibitor Todd Zimmerman, Eastern Region Manager with CardPak.

Long-time attendee Fritz Stumpges is into the first year of his retirement, but could not stay away. “Being in this business for 30 years, I have seen the show change and new technologies emerge that I would have never imagined,” he added. “The focus on education and staying abreast of trends keeps me coming back year after year.”

MD&M West 2015 will be held Feb. 10-12 next year at the Anaheim Convention Center.