Additive Manufacturing Trade and Media Organizations Partner to Launch Formnext USA Chicago in Spring 2025

Stuttgart, Germany – Mesago Messe Frankfurt, the organizers of Formnext and Messe Frankfurt USA announced a strategic partnership with AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and Gardner Business Media (GBM) to launch Formnext USA Chicago in March 14-16, 2025 at McCormick Place, Chicago, in its drive to improve, grow, and explore opportunities in the global marketplace.

Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT, and GBM will launch a series of events under the Formnext brand to expand their presence in the United States, in response to the continued and accelerated adoption of additive manufacturing by both new and established manufacturers. The first appearance of Formnext in the US market will be at IMTS, the International Manufacturing Technology Show, which will be held in Chicago at McCormick Place, the premier business trade show venue in North America, from September 12-17, 2022.

The AM4U Area, presented by Formnext, will debut at the IMTS 2022 additive manufacturing pavilion. The AM4U Area is a multi-use area on the show floor where industry experts present on topics such as industrial AM adoption seminars, entrepreneurship, and business models for start-ups and young enterprises. Formnext’s AM4U Area will be co-located with the Additive Manufacturing Conference in Austin, Texas in 2023.

Against this backdrop, Douglas Woods, President, AMT, commented, “Formnext is clearly the premier additive manufacturing event in Europe, and we are extremely excited to be partnering with them to bring these world-class events to the US.”

The trade show will showcase industrial 3D printing equipment, post-processing solutions, software, service providers, materials, and more, building on Formnext’s world-class legacy. This event promises to be a one-of-a-kind collaboration between Mesago Messe Frankfurt, GBM, and AMT that will maximize the impact and exposure of each partner's diverse area of expertise.

AMT, a leading advocate for the advancement and expansion of manufacturing technology, brings a century of experience in producing IMTS—The International Manufacturing Technology Show, the largest manufacturing technology event in the Americas—to the partnership. Members of the association include not only the leading technology suppliers in North America but also a growing and prominent community of additive manufacturers.

Extending reach

Gardner Business Media, a leading media and event producer in North America focused entirely on durable goods manufacturing, will handle event marketing and promotion. Gardner will support Formnext USA Chicago with several long-established industrial media brands, including Additive Manufacturing, Modern Machine Shop, Plastics Technology, MoldMaking Technology, and Composites World. To this, Rick Kline, Jr President, Gardner Business Media, asserted, “Gardner reaches more than 350,000 manufacturing decision-makers as qualified print subscribers in North America, and we will dedicate the full force of our brands to ensure the success of this event.”

Gardner sees additive manufacturing as poised for expansion in the coming years. It not only provides previously unattainable options for improved design, material properties, and lead time, but it also provides a digital production solution in the face of supply chain disruptions. According to Petra Haarburger, President, Mesago Messe Frankfurt, Germany, which organizes Formnext in Frankfurt, “Formnext USA Chicago offers both North American and international additive manufacturers an exceptional platform in the highly dynamic US market.”

In a similar vein, Sascha F Wenzler, Vice President Formnext, Mesago Messe Frankfurt, added, “Formnext has been a resounding success as the global meeting point in Europe, and we are confident that the combination of additive manufacturing, materials, and innovative process technologies will also perfectly address the current and future needs of the North American manufacturing industry.”

Image Source: Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH