From robot dogs dancing with Terminator robots to impressive guitar performances by the Guitar Legends competition winner and Richard Noble OBE’s fervent commitment to engaging young people in engineering and his upcoming world record attempt, Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2024 truly lived up to its billing as a ‘Festival of Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering’. The event saw a record attendance of 13,428, a 30% increase from 2023.
“The buzz at Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week was undeniable” said Grace Gilling, Managing Director, The Manufacturer, part of Nineteen Group “I don’t know if it was the live music at the entrance or the Graffiti Wall or the number of interactive features or maybe even the specially created Smart Hoperator beer, but the excitement created a perfect atmosphere in which to do business. Exhibitors were having fun; visitors were having fun and it all just…worked.”
Produced by The Manufacturer, owned by the award-winning Nineteen Group, the event reaffirmed its status as one of the UK’s largest manufacturing and engineering technology show. With 470 exhibitors displaying hundreds of innovative products and solutions, the event featured more than 150 presentations across eight free-to-attend theatres on topics like digital transformation, IIOT, connectivity, and industrial data. There were also practical workshops by the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, and cutting-edge technology showcases in the Made Smarter Innovation Showcase and the Start Up Zone.
The event’s record attendance in 2024 is partly attributed to the co-location of Drives & Controls for the first time.
The event offered a wide range of activities, from JJA Snack’s working chocolate factory to Fanuc hosting the world skills qualifiers for industrial robotics. Some activities began before the exhibitions opened, and others continued after closing.
“I was really surprised,” said Jon Morris, Marketing Manager from ifm, “I heard The Shadow Monkeys band start the after-show party at 4.30pm and looked at our stand and the others close by, and they were all still busy, which is unusual as experienced exhibitors will attest. With so much to see and do visitors stayed on.”
Attendees looking for insights and knowledge-sharing participated in the event’s summits. The Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit focused on the opportunities and challenges of digitalising manufacturing processes. The Industrial Data & AI Summit and the Automation & Robotics Accelerator Symposium provided forums for specialist debates on niche topics within manufacturing.
The Marketing to Manufacturers Breakfast was highly popular, with a full theatre and a crowd gathered outside to hear about the £4.5 billion of government funding that manufacturers will be spending over the next 24 months.
Fringe activities included Enginuity’s 10th Annual Skills Awards, celebrating excellence in skills development within engineering and manufacturing, and the Top 100 Awards, which honour the heroes of the UK’s manufacturing sector.
The STEM programme featured several academic institutions and partners, such as Coventry University with its IMechE Formula AI Car and Formula Student cars, engaging with visiting students and pupils about careers in engineering. New visitor trails ensured inquisitive visitors maximised their learning and networking opportunities with themed stands and guided experiences, exploring cutting-edge projects and innovations such as the Best of British Showcase, and ensuring interactions with industry professionals and insights into potential career paths in engineering and manufacturing.
With its festival vibe, well-being zone, and eclectic mix of attractions and distractions, Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week has carved out its own niche. Its primary role is to connect buyers with sellers, and in this regard, it has been a huge success.
The core dates for the Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week exhibitions in 2025 are confirmed as 4-5 June. SM&E Week 2024 was once again a carbon-neutral event, with more trees being added to the Nineteen Group Forest to offset the event’s carbon footprint.
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