Robust 10th Edition of The ASSEMBLY Show Attracts Sizable Uptick In Attendees, Exhibitors

November 10, 2022

The latest edition of The ASSEMBLY Show celebrated its 10th anniversary by providing manufacturing professionals with everything they need to adapt to new challenges, expand into new markets and streamline their businesses for growth. 

Held Oct. 25-27 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., and produced by BNP Media, the annual trade show and conference provided more than 5,000 manufacturing professionals with a robust expo, cutting-edge industry education, award programs and myriad networking opportunities.

“Assembly technology is changing at an incredible pace, and we are thrilled that for the last decade we have been able to create a vibrant event for our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers to come together to provide valuable information on the latest industry trends and fresh insights on how to improve processes and the bottom line,” said Bill DeYoe, publisher of ASSEMBLY Magazine, which sponsors the event.

He added, “Our attendance was up 25% since our last event, and we heard positive feedback on the quality of the attendees who took advantage of our expanded show floor and education program.”

According to show officials, the event attracted 5,637 registered attendees and 233 exhibitors compared to 4,496 attendees and 211 exhibitors in 2021.

Kicking off with six workshops that attracted hundreds of attendees, the event featured industry experts leading panel discussions on topics including metal welding for battery packs, lean manufacturing, plastics welding fundamentals, electronic and autonomous vehicles and developing the next-generation manufacturing workforce.

On a boisterous showfloor, exhibitors showcased automation, robotics, software, vision and sensors, ergonomics and design spanning 67,300 net square feet of exhibit space. Numerous exhibitors renewed their booth spaces on-site for the 2023 show, which is now more than 71% sold, according to show officials.

The ASSEMBLY Show 2022

In the exhibit hall’s Learning Theaters, more than a dozen exhibitors demonstrated their company’s expertise in the latest developments in assembly technological advances, covering topics including automation in today’s new normal, labor shortages and turnover, laser plastic welding, process control, torque verification process, leak testing, automaton and augmentation, AI in the automotive industry and robotic assembly.

Editors from ASSEMBLY Magazine led dozens of attendees on six guided exhibit hall tours, including Senior Editor Austin Weber, who led the Autonomous & Electric Mobility and Factory of the Future tours; Editor-in-Chief John Sprovieri, who led the Robotics and Automated Assembly Tours; and Multimedia Editor Jennifer Pierce, who led the Pressing & Riveting and Fastening Tools Tours.

The show also featured a comprehensive lineup of compelling thought leadership delivered by industry visionaries, including an engaging and thought-provoking keynote address by Charles Wetherington, president and COO of BTE Technologies, that focused on preparing for Manufacturing 4.0.

The ASSEMBLY Show’s array of awards ceremonies included the ASSEMBLY Magazine Plant of the Year Award and the New Products Awards, which featured 20 new products selected by ASSEMBLY Magazine editors in five categories, including Assembly Machines & System, Adhesives Dispensing & Curing, Fastening Tools, Robotics and Factory of the Future.

Attendees and exhibitors also had the chance to enjoy special events, including the Morning Mingle & Breakfast on the showfloor; the Opening Night Welcome Reception, featuring local restaurants providing food and drink for The Taste of Rosemont Event; and the Harvest Hoedown, offering BBQ, craft beer and a country music band.

Coming off of a successful expo, BNP is gearing up to offer even more content for the assembly community in 2023. According to DeYoe, the B2B media company will launch The ASSEMBLY Show South, set for April 4-6 in Nashville, Tenn., and is already looking forward to the 11th-anniversary edition of The ASSEMBLY Show, returning to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Oct. 24-26.

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