Nurturing a High-Quality AM Community

It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the February issue of Smart Manufacturing and reintroduce our Voices AMplified initiative for 2023.

In fact, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to everyone in the greater additive manufacturing (AM) community as we embark on what promises to be an exciting year. It will certainly be an eventful one—literally. SME has a busy schedule planned for 2023 with 11 industry-leading events across North America, starting with this month’s HOUSTEX show (Feb. 21-23) in Houston, as part of our successful MT Series.

While AM will be well represented at all the shows, the technology is front and center at RAPID + TCT (May 2-4 in Chicago), which is North America’s largest and most influential additive manufacturing event. Attendees can see the latest technologies, hear insightful presentations, experience hands-on demonstrations, and discover solutions at more than 400 exhibits.

While in-person gatherings are a critical resource—and will continue to be for the foreseeable future—attendees increasingly want and expect digital experiences too, either integrated into a hybrid conference or as stand-alone events. Such tools help keep the community engaged throughout the year and allow for even more partnering opportunities.

The community benefits of events (for in-person and remote participants) are clear. Among last year’s RAPID + TCT attendees, for example, 85 percent came to the event to network with other professional and 72 percent planned to share learned information with colleagues afterwards.