FABTECH: Back in business

Ed Youdell, president/CEO, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, speaks at a press conference on June 15 at Chicago’s McCormick Place where he formally announced that FABTECH 2021 was on schedule to open its doors to metal fabricators on Sept. 13.

“Welcome to McCormick Place!” said Larita Clark, chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the body that runs Chicago’s tradeshow facility. “I’ve been waiting 15 months to say that!”

The translation for metal fabricators is “FABTECH is happening!”

Clark made the exclamation June 15 at a press conference in the concourse area between the North and South buildings of McCormick Place, which should be familiar to metal fabricators because FABTECH has been held every other year in that building since 1997. The press conference was notable because FABTECH, which will be held Sept. 13-16 instead of in its traditional November timeframe like in years past, is the first major tradeshow for the Chicago facility since the pandemic started. (An automotive show is slated for McCormick Place in July, but FABTECH will have many more exhibitors spread over more floor space, an estimated 2 million sq. ft.)

Ed Youdell, president/CEO, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, one of the founders of FABTECH, noted that Chicago is undoubtedly thirsty for economic investment after seeing its convention business shut down for more than a year. He said that FABTECH results in about $73 million in attendee and exhibitor spending in Chicago and employs just short of 4,000 laborers, who work 110,000 hours to set up and take down the show.

But Chicago’s hospitability community and the McCormick Place officials aren’t the only ones waiting for the FABTECH doors to open. With the 2020 FABTECH event in Las Vegas canceled because of fear of unchecked transmission of COVID-19, metal fabricators haven’t had a real chance to catch up with peers and see the latest fabricating technology advancements in person since FABTECH in Chicago in 2019.

“Our event fills an important role in connecting the metal fabrication industry’s ability to achieve ever greater levels of both productivity and competitiveness,” Youdell said. “The variety and the unimaginable performance of the technology and equipment exhibited at the show are the needed tools and innovations that will keep North America’s metal fabrication industry globally competitive for the foreseeable future.”

Backing up that sentiment, some of the largest FABTECH exhibitors attended the press conference. They included representatives of AIDA, Amada America, Bystronic, Industrial Innovations, Komatsu, Mitsubishi/MC Machinery, Peddinghaus, Praxair, and TRUMPF.

“Let us all assure you that at 10 a.m. on Sept. 13 the metal fabrication industry can once again come together to reconnect with peers and old friends, participate in cutting-edge educational programs, and to experience firsthand the world’s best technology and advanced manufacturing solutions,” Youdell said.

While Illinois has entered Phase Five of its pandemic recovery schedule, which made the opening of McCormick Place to full-scale tradeshow events possible, Clark did note that the facility has taken steps to ensure that people who might be concerned about virus transmission can rest a bit easier attending FABTECH. Facility officials have reorganized eating areas to provide more space between tables, installed more hands-free doors, improved building ventilation, and pledged to increase cleaning of areas that are considered “high-touch” points while the tradeshow is occurring.

“At the core [of our business], we have to go back to what we know how to do best—which is to meet in person and to drive value for the entire manufacturing ecosystem,” said Steve Prahalis, COO, SME, the other FABTECH co-founder. “We’re confident in our ability to do this for our exhibitors, our attendees, our delegates, our sponsors, our suppliers, and our staff.”

When asked about finding enough workers to fill all of the roles needed to run a tradeshow in September, Clark said, “There are no concerns about staffing.” She added that the tradespeople are “excited” to get back to work and that the nearby Marriott Marquis leadership had confirmed that more than 80% of its staff had returned to work.

From an attendee point of view, show sponsors expect about 30,000 attendees. In 2019 the Chicago FABTECH drew 48,000 people.

“We’re fortunate now that the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois have opened back up into Phase Five as of [June 11]. The gloves are now off, and the masks are now off. We can now welcome an audience of any size,” Youdell said.

For more information on FABTECH 2021, visit www.fabtechexpo.com.