Trade show season heats up

As the heat and humidity of summer begins to fade to the cool and arid conditions of fall, the trade show and conference season really begins to heat up. Whether your primary interest is maintenance, wireless technology or a turnkey solution for a process; safety; electrical or mechanical engineering; automation or something else; there's certain to be a show or a conference in the coming month...

By Kevin Campbell August 15, 2007

As the heat and humidity of summer begins to fade to the cool and arid conditions of fall, the trade show and conference season really begins to heat up. Whether your primary interest is maintenance, wireless technology or a turnkey solution for a process; safety; electrical or mechanical engineering; automation or something else; there’s certain to be a show or a conference in the coming months that’s designed to address your needs.

  • MESA International hits the bricks with its 2007 Plant-to-Enterprise Conference , Sept. 16-18 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. Themed Integration-to-Innovation, the three-day event kicks off on Sunday with a selection of workshops and training sessions, culminating in a welcome reception. Monday’s Keynote features Peter Fingar, executive partner of Greystone Group, followed by a series of sessions on integrating the tools of business — from automation process control to MES to ERP and everything in between. PLANT ENGINEERING is a media sponsor of this event. www.mesa.org/conference/2007

  • Activate 2007 , Activplant’s Manufacturing Intelligence Summit, hits the Omni Orlando Resort in Orlando Sept. 16-19 and features an executive summit co-located with a user conference to deliver performance management best practices. Attendees will hear testimonials from Activplant customers, partners and other industry individuals as they explore the role of technology and what leading manufacturers are doing to stay ahead. The event includes a roundtable with general session and keynote speakers and a user conference breakout session. PLANT ENGINEERING is a media sponsor of this event. www.activplant.com/activate07

  • The Material Handling Industry of America hosts its 2007 Annual Meetings in Savannah, GA, Sept. 29-Oct. 3, at the Hyatt Regency Savannah. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Steve Ford, actor and son of former President Gerald Ford, and Don Reynolds, who President George W. Bush appointed pension board chairman. A variety of educational sessions will be presented over the course of the proceedings, and a number of social events, including a golf outing and a luncheon at Paula Deen’s The Lady & Sons restaurant, complement the event. www.mhia.org/fall2007

  • Returning for another year at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, Sept. 24-27, National Manufacturing Week joins Assembly Technology Expo , Quality Expo , Electronics Assembly Show and Plastec Midwest in a major co-located event. Several hundred exhibitors will be on hand, and an extensive conference program runs the duration of the show. Special features in the expo hall include a CAD/CAM and enterprise technology software section, a plant engineering and maintenance pavilion and concentrations in contract manufacturing and outsourcing services and industrial automation. Attendees will have access to all shows with their NMW badge. www.manufacturingweek.com

  • As part of its media sponsorship of National Manufacturing Week, PLANT ENGINEERING will present the results of its study, “The Changing Role of the Plant Engineer” at a cocktail event on Wednesday, Sept. 26 (see related story in Forum). A panel discussion on the study and its implications also will be part of that event. The full study will be featured in PLANT ENGINEERING ‘s 60th anniversary issue in November.

  • ISA Expo 2007 will be organized around six core automation and control themes when it arrives at Houston’s Reliant Center Oct. 2-4. The themes, or ‘exchanges,’ cover safety technology, process automation technology, environmental and quality control technology, enterprise integration technology, security technology and wireless and networking technology. Throughout the exchanges, attendees will learn about critical topics such as equipment for hazardous locations and resources related to flow measurement, model predictive control, batch applications and advanced regulatory control. They’ll be able to explore strategies for control system integration to optimize asset use; and they’ll be able to evaluate the merits of many modes of industrial networking technology. www.isa.org/expo

  • The National Safety Council’s 95th Annual Congress & Expo at Chicago’s McCormick Place Oct. 15-17. Headlining a large group of keynote speakers is Thomas J. Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Pennsylvania, who will speak during the opening session on Monday, Oct. 15. More than 800 exhibitors will participate in the Expo, and 140 technical sessions and 32 professional development seminars will be offered. www.congress.nsc.org

  • Appearing in Las Vegas Oct. 15-19, InfraMation 2007 comes to the Orleans Hotel. The eighth annual conference covers the latest in infrared technology and helps attendees renew their Infrared Training Center thermography certification. Attractions include an IR camera check-up clinic and numerous short courses and technical presentations, including user-led presentations on infrared applications, training clinics, panel discussions and networking opportunities. www.inframation.org