Bright lights, big city, metal fabrication, and memories

This week, metal fabricators from all over the globe are converging on Las Vegas for FABTECH® 2016. The sights and sounds of the strip will pale in comparison to those inside the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), where more than 550,000 square feet will be occupied by more than 1,300 fabricating equipment manufacturers showing the very latest technology Nov. 15 - 18.

If you’re reading this, you likely have been to FABTECH, or at least have heard of the show. It’s the largest North American exhibition devoted to metal fabricating, stamping, tube and pipe, welding, and finishing. A big show means a lot to see, and you have only three days for this one.

My fellow editors and I will traverse almost all of the show covering this technology for our readers. Many suppliers have requested that we stop by their booths to see what’s new, and there’s always something new. How do we do it? We have schedules that keep us on track for appointments and allow us to fit in impromptu visits where time permits. Unfortunately, our schedules often have us covering great distances from appointment to appointment. A knowledge of the floorplan, comfortable shoes, and some preplanning on our part help.

As I write this from my hotel room in Vegas, I’m very much aware of the ground we’ll be covering tomorrow. I spent several hours at the LVCC this afternoon in the welding and tube and pipe section. Exhibitors were busy setting up for the show’s opening tomorrow. Shipping crates, equipment, packaging, forklifts, litter, and people filled the aisles as booths were put together.

When I left, much work and cleanup remained, but I was 100 percent sure it would all be accomplished before the show opens in the morning. Why? Because this This is my 17th FABTECH, and no matter what chaos is happening in the venue or in the world outside, the show comes together and goes on.

Fifteen years ago, those of us at FABTECH in Chicago wondered what would transpire when the doors opened just weeks after the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Would fabricators travel to the show at a time when the U.S. was on high alert and armed troops and bomb-sniffing dogs were stationed at airports? Yes, they came. The mood definitely was different, but fabricators are doers, and even in times of trouble, maybe especially in times of trouble, doers keep on keeping on.

This FABTECH takes place after one of the most contentious political campaigns in recent history, one that continues to create havoc in the U.S. Will attendees and exhibitors mirror a large segment of the rest of the country celebrating or bemoaning the outcome? Probably not. They will focus on the sights, sounds, and features of new technology that will improve their processes, products, and the lives of those who use what they produce. I’ll be reporting on some of these innovations throughout the show.