In 2022, conference attendance will be more important for professional development than ever before

Learning opportunities and networking can really help a career, especially one in sales. Columnist Lisa Wertzbaugher discusses two metals industry conferences that she considers must-do events for in 2022. Getty Images

I just returned from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA) board of directors meeting in Chicago, and part of the presentation was a full review of FABTECH. Most people are unaware that FABTECH is actually an FMA event, co-hosted with four other industry associations. In addition to the FABTECH review, we also received a review of patronage for all FMA publications, including The Tube & Pipe Journal.

The news was good. FABTECH exhibits and attendance were down slightly from previous years, to be expected with COVID-19 concerns and restrictions still looming. However, the attendees who made the trek were serious buyers, and many exhibitors said they took orders on the show floor. The FMA magazines—The FABRICATOR, The Tube & Pipe Journal, The WELDER, STAMPING Journal, and several others—also had an excellent year, with increased subscriptions and ad sales.

At the end of our board meeting, each director gives an update on economic outlook and general state of business in their own company and region. The message was consistent: We are drinking from a fire hose and trying to keep up. This is all good news. After two years of cancellations, pandemic life, and lots of uncertainty, the outlook is bullish for 2022. I think we should expect strong attendance at conferences, trade shows, and industry events next year.

Manufacturing professionals need capital and are consuming as much information as they can about best practices, new technologies, leadership strategies, and more. I would like to endorse two events that I will be attending, and speaking at, in 2022 and give you some reasons to attend yourself.

FMA Annual Meeting/Leadership Summit

I left the medical device industry and rejoined the manufacturing sector in 2014. I went to work in my parents’ midsized tube fabrication business and quickly realized joining FMA and its affiliate, the Tube & Pipe Association Intl., was essential for us to stay connected to, and informed about, the fabricating industry. I attended my first FMA Leadership Summit in 2016 and haven’t missed one since.

I feel so strongly about the value of this conference for industry leaders and executives that I now serve on the planning committee. This conference includes high-level speakers and breakout sessions in the areas of industry technology, economic outlook and strategy, and leadership development. The keynote speakers are fantastic, and often well-known. I don’t follow professional football, but I was stunned (and entertained) by the motivational speaker Darren Woodson from the Dallas Cowboys.

The FMA Leadership Summit is also the best networking event I attend each year. I always leave with new connections and business leads. The Leadership Summit has been a catalyst for our company’s brand development. Oh, I should mention that the event is always held at a hot tourist destination. Literally hot, and it’s held early in the year, making this event a nice break for the many manufacturers located in the so-called Rust Belt, the cold-all-winter upper Midwest.

In 2022 the event will be in Miami, March 1-3. Register today and meet me there.

Pipe and Tube Memphis

A combined conference of pipe and tube producers and fabricators was held in Pittsburgh in 2010, and the format was a success. It has been held in several locations, most recently in Memphis in 2019, and that one had the best turnout of the entire series. The planning committee decided to go for a repeat. Not only does Memphis have a lot to offer in terms of tourism, restaurants, and leisure, but it’s in the heart of the Southeast manufacturing market, centrally located, and easily accessible.

There are also excellent options for plant tours in the area, a key component of the event. Attendees toured the Big River Steel facility in 2018, an excursion that earned rave reviews.

This conference is more technically focused and specific to the tube, pipe, and roll forming industries than the leadership summit, but it still draws a large audience. The last conference had more than 200 attendees, which makes it an excellent opportunity for presenting or exhibiting, and you should consider both. It also provides solid opportunities to meet with potential customers and develop leads. There will still be a leadership and economic component, but the focus is on technology. I highly recommend attending this conference, which will be held April 11-13. I am serving as chair and am looking forward to a big event.

Don’t Miss the Boat

In every industry I’ve worked in, attending conferences has been an essential part of my revenue growth strategy and personal development. I cannot imagine the twists and turns my career and business would not have taken had I missed these events over the past 20 years. The registration fee is nominal, less than $1,000, but the return on the investment has indefinite value. If any year is a year to participate, it’s certainly 2022.