Australia’s largest manufacturing industry event, National Manufacturing Week will break new ground at the Sydney Showground next May 13 – 16, with a revised floorplan giving more space to sectors and technologies that are driving industry growth. NMW 2014 will incorporate a record 15 Product Zones, as well as the Ausplas exhibition and – in an industry ‘first’ – opportunities to connect directly with research providers at an R&D Hub.
For the first time in Sydney NMW 2014 will be ‘home’ to Ausplas, Australia’s plastics trade show. Held once every three years, Ausplas presents many of the most significant innovations in Australia’s second-largest manufacturing industry sector , and a key influencer of industry’s overall directions.
NMW 2014 will also introduce six new Product Zones focusing at the drivers of manufacturing innovation. These include the fast-growing Digital and Additive manufacturing sectors, and Machine Tools, which will have everything from CNC machining centres to laser equipment on active display.
Additionally, the Engineering Services Product Zone – supported by the sector’s peak body, Engineers Australia, will present solutions for transforming manufacturing processes.
Event organiser, Reed Exhibitions has also changed the nature of other Product Zones in line with industry developments. The Automation & Robotics area, for example, will include total solutions and collaborative robotics, while Clean Tech (the former Sustainable Manufacturing Zone) will present a broader range of sustainable manufacturing technologies.
In all, NMW 2014 will present a record 15 Product Zones, plus three open-access “Solutions Theatres” – for Digital Manufacturing, Health & Safety and Plastics – where visitors will gain valuable insights from presentations and demonstrations by industry experts and selected exhibitors.
In a major new development, NMW 2014 will also house a R&D Hub, in which industry can speak directly with research providers about their work and opportunities for collaboration and commercialisation.
NMW Exhibition Director, Anthony Reed commented, “Each year, we review NMW in line with independent research and Reed Exhibition’s own intelligence on industry directions. Arising from the research findings, NMW 2014’s new floorplan will highlight ideas, technologies and strategies that are helping manufacturers drive sales growth.”
“We are also providing more opportunities – through the Solutions Theatre and R&D Hub – for industry to make the contacts and conversations that spark new ideas.
“In all, NMW 2014 has been designed to give more ideas to a broader cross section of industry. We’re aiming to provide more reasons to visit- and therefore, more reasons to exhibit.
“More than 100 companies have already committed to participating in NMW 2013 and available space is being quickly allocated. I urge anyone thinking of participating to contact us as soon as is possible, to secure their place,” Reed concluded.
