Two of the global manufacturing industry’s premier organizations, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and Mesago, a subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt Group, have announced a collaboration to create the Automation Sector at IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show in 2024, and SPS – Smart Production Solutions in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2025.

The Automation Sector at IMTS and SPS – Smart Production Solutions in Atlanta will be held in alternate years, and both events will be supported by Gardner Business Media (GBM), the leading publisher for manufacturing in North America. 

The Automation Sector at IMTS 2024, powered by SPS – Smart Production Solutions, will feature an expansive offering of automated, robotic, connected, and digital manufacturing technologies. IMTS 2024 runs Sept. 9-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

IMTS 2022, the largest manufacturing technology event in North America, witnessed an unprecedented number of demonstrations featuring robots, cobots, vision systems, and other automated solutions around manufacturing processes such as additive manufacturing, CNC machining, metrology, and part handling. Exhibitors featured complete system-solutions that also included connectivity for data management and process optimization, as well as digital twin technology and new solutions for CAD/CAM and ERP/shop management software.

“The Automation Sector at IMTS expands IMTS’ appeal as a must-attend event for businesses that want to increase their manufacturing efficiency through automation,” said Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT, which owns and produces IMTS. “By working with SPS – Smart Production Solutions, IMTS 2024 will have even more exhibits featuring advanced motion systems, vision and imaging, data analytics, systems integration, artificial intelligence, and cloud and edge computing.”

SPS – Smart Production Solutions will be held Sept. 23-25, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The inaugural event will host exhibits from simple sensors to intelligent solutions, from what is feasible today to the vision of a fully digitalized industrial world.

“Manufacturing in the Southeast region is flourishing, and as one of the national leaders in advanced manufacturing, Georgia is the perfect backstory for an automation industry event in the United States,” said Constantin von Vieregge, president and CEO, Messe Frankfurt Inc. “Working in concert with AMT, GBM, and our sister company, Mesago, the development of SPS – Smart Production Solutions in Atlanta will cater to a multiplicity of sectors providing a platform to elevate the advancing technological innovations.”

The Atlanta event is an expansion of the SPS – Smart Production Solutions trade show held annually in Nuremberg, Germany. It is Europe’s leading trade fair for digital industrial solutions. SPS 2022 attracted 44,000 visitors and featured about 1.2 million square feet of gross exhibition space and 1,000 exhibitors involved in advanced automation solutions. As an international meeting place for the industry and representing the complete spectrum of smart and digital automation, SPS – Smart Production Solutions in Atlanta will benefit from the international network already established in Germany.

Together, both events will facilitate a faster exchange of knowledge, which is particularly relevant to global issues involving supply chains, logistics, staff shortages, and cost pressures. All these issues increase the need for automation technologies that leverage worker productivity and boost business profitability. “The SPS in Atlanta in the alternative years allows for the continuity of this ever-important exchange,” underlines Martin Roschkowski, president of Mesago Messe Frankfurt. “The strength of SPS in the global automation industry, coupled with IMTS, will provide important business platforms for companies involved in this rapidly changing environment.”  

Mesago Messe Frankfurt also produces SPS fairs in China, Italy, and the Middle East, as well as events focusing on electronic assemblies, intelligent motion, and additive manufacturing. 

“Creating the Automation Sector at IMTS and SPS – Smart Production Solutions in Atlanta reflects our commitment to helping manufacturers enhance and accelerate their productivity and support the expanding U.S. manufacturing market,” says Woods. “By working with Mesago Messe Frankfurt, we can showcase an even broader spectrum of digital technologies that are essential for fueling manufacturing growth.”

Additionally, Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT, and Gardner Business Media recently announced a collaboration to bring several Formnext additive manufacturing events to the United States, including launching Formnext Chicago in 2025.