FABTECH® 2018—Big show, small world

C Hall of the Georgia World Congress Center.

Nov. 4 was an absolutely beautiful day in downtown Atlanta as exhibitors continued setting up their booths for FABTECH® 2018. Held at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), the show opens Tuesday, Nov. 6 and runs through Thursday, Nov. 8. The scene on opening day, when everything is shiny and neat, is far different from those in the week leading up to it, when booths are in various stages of construction and setup.

I was at the GWCC this afternoon. My husband’s company is an exhibitor, and I go with him each year to set up the booth. Today we took Nathan, a new hire at his company, to help. Originally from Pennsylvania, Nathan is new to Atlanta, and this was his first time at the center. We drove in from North Metro Atlanta, and the ride didn’t disappoint him, as he saw the Georgia Tech, The Varsity, World of Coca Cola, Georgia Aquarium, the College Football Hall of Fame, CNN Center, and the Mercedes Benz Stadium, which is directly adjacent to the GWCC. This my first time seeing the stadium in real life, and it’s impressive. As far as venues go, this is one of the best, given the many attractions close by.

The show takes up three halls. After picking up my badge, my first mission was to find the connector between halls B and C. The press traverses the show many times over the course of its run, and finding all shortcuts is a must. As I walked, I made a mental note not to wear the shoes I had on today.

This is my 20th consecutive show. I remember my first like it was yesterday. It took place in Chicago. I was new to metal fabricating and had no idea what the show would encompass. Nor did I have any concept of just how much what I saw would evolve over the next two decades. I continue to be amazed by the ingenuity and pace of advancement in technology. And being honest, in a world in which most people no longer work for the same company more than a couple of years, I am impressed by the number of people I met all of those years ago who are still in the industry and going to the shows. For me, seeing them is one of the best parts of the show; I saw one today almost as soon as I entered the welding area.

In this section, I also saw a guy demonstrating a system that captures welding fumes at the source. Keep in mind that the show hasn’t even started, and the booth was still in progress. Three men were observing, and one decided to try it for himself. I was captivated by the scene and asked to take a photo. The man behind the mask jokingly (?) asked if I were a competitor. When I told him that I was with the press, he agreed. Because he was involved with others, I didn’t want to take up his time. But I did ask for his business card. As I walked away, I looked at it and smiled. It turns out that Ron Budzowski works for Hastings Air Energy Control Inc., a company familiar to me, as I had written about its support of tomorrow’s welders a year ago. Small world.

From Nov. 6 through 8, you can expect daily posts from me about the show and what I’ve seen. I can’t see it all, but I will share with you what I do. However, the only way for you to really grasp its scope is to attend the show in person. It’s back to Chicago in 2019!

All images courtesy of Vicki Bell.

Slide Show | 6 Images