[Image above] (From left) Smarter Shows president James Reader, Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson, ACerS executive director Charlie Spahr, event director Adam Moore, and ACerS director of communications and marketing Eileen De Guire. Credit: ACerS
It’s a wrap for Ceramics Expo 2017, which turned out to be three days of networking, relationship-building, selling, teaching, and learning—all under one huge roof of the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Did you miss it this year? Read on for the highlights, and make sure you add it to your calendar (June 26–28, 2018) for next year.
Visitors to the Expo had the option of coming a day early to attend one of three ACerS-sponsored workshops.
Marketing for Manufacturers Forum at the 6th Ceramic Business and Leadership Summit—April 24
This was the place to be if you wanted to learn how to market your products and services to engineers. Scheduled a day before CEX 2017, this ACerS program featured eight experts who shared their knowledge of market research, business intelligence, managing product introductions, case studies, and more.
Attendees created their own marketing plans related to their business goals in an interactive workshop. The day concluded with dinner and a speaker from the Cleveland Museum of Art, who shared a little history of Bernard Palissy, a French ceramic artist.
Attendees in the Marketing for Manufacturing workshop work on their marketing plans. Credit: ACerS
ACerS Targeted Learning Workshops—April 24
ACerS Targeted Learning Workshops were scheduled concurrently with the Marketing for Manufacturers Forum and provided opportunities for attendees to expand their knowledge in areas of additive manufacturing and statistical process control. Those who attended the additive manufacturing workshop were treated to a field trip to the America Makes Innovation Factory in Youngstown, Ohio, where attendees watched live equipment demos.
Attendees at the additive manufacturing workshop take a tour of America Makes Innovation Factory. Credit: ACerS
Ceramics Expo—April 25–27, 2017
Held at Cleveland’s monstrous I-X Center, the show featured nearly 300 exhibitors in more than 100,000 square feet of show space.
The sessions
Attendees had the option of attending a variety of sessions from several different tracks: Ceramic Material Properties and Applications; Ceramic Coating and CMC Manufacturing Processes; Forming Technologies and Automation; Medical Applications; and Slurry, Sintering and Post-Processing Technologies. Attendees listened to panel discussions and experts who discussed ceramic materials related to semiconductors, batteries, and thermal barriers and speakers from all across the glass and steel industries.
Panel discussions at the conference at Ceramics Expo 2017. Credit: ACerS
The meetings
ACerS Manufacturing Division held its lunch meeting on Wednesday April 26, with reports from the organizational growth, communications, and programming committees. The division currently has 344 members—up from 280 members at this time last year. They shared ideas and are now soliciting suggestions for short course topics, webinars, and other activities to further member engagement.
Plus, the Western New York Section is back in action! The Section also held its meeting on Wednesday, April 26, with nearly 30 in attendance. There was a great deal of enthusiasm as members discussed ideas for future meetings, activities, and other member events. Members are already looking forward to the next meeting—stay tuned!
The Western New York Section held its meeting on Wednesday during Ceramics Expo 2017. Credit: ACerS
The mayor
Wednesday, Cleveland’s mayor Frank Jackson graced the expo with his presence and posed for a photo in the ACerS booth.
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson with Eileen De Guire, ACerS director of communications and marketing. Credit: ACerS
The exhibitors
All throughout Ceramics Expo 2017, exhibitors were busy discussing their newest products and services with prospective buyers. From ceramic parts to furnaces to bead milling to ceramic powders, there was plenty of diversity on display.
Saint Gobain company reps talk to attendees about their products. Credit: ACerS
A rep from Zircar peeks through one of the company’s ceramic products. Credit: ACerS
Some exhibitors were actually demonstrating their equipment in smaller scale at their booths. This company was producing tiny aspirin-sized ceramic pellets.
This machine cranks out little ceramic pellets. Credit: ACerS
And the tchotchkes! Call me a nerd, but one of my favorite giveaways was this periodic table mouse pad.
Best. Freebie. Ever. Credit: ACerS
ACerS booth
Thanks to all who stopped by the ACerS booth to get your membership questions answered and enter our daily drawing. We gave away three $300 vouchers this week! Those who became members during the show received a $50 voucher or one of two engineering books.
Mark Mecklenborg, director of membership, meetings and technical publications awards a $300 voucher to a lucky winner. Credit: ACerS
If you missed the fun at this year’s Ceramics Expo, there’s always next year—Ceramics Expo 2018 is scheduled for June 26–28, 2018.