The show wrapped, we packed up our equipment, and I put on gym shoes to soothe my aching feet after multiple days of walking miles through McCormick Place at the behemoth show that was IMTS in Chicago this month.

The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) labels itself “the largest manufacturing technology trade show in the Western Hemisphere." They ain't kidding. This is a global event, organized by the Association for Manufacturing Technology, that welcomes innovators, suppliers, and manufacturing professionals to spotlight emerging technologies, solutions and innovations in manufacturing.

Here are the world’s most important players in the automation space gathered to share good ideas, show off new solutions, rekindle relationships and get in their 10,000 steps before the lunch break. Oof. (Thankfully, the stairs were automated.)

There was a strong EndeavorB2B presence at this IMTS, with my Automation World colleagues joined by peers from sister brands including Control Design, Machine Design and Industry Week. We built a mothership perched above the exhibit floor—the EndeavorB2B Media Lounge—to host meetings and record podcasts and provide a view aloft of the show. It proved to be a tremendous resource.  

My takeaways from IMTS 2026:

—Physical AI is real, it is here, and it is generating tremendous efficiencies for manufacturers who are embracing it. Questions and apprehension abound (same as with any radical new technique), but the benefits of marrying AI and physical assets are making converts here at IMTS.  

—A hot topic in advanced automation is...welding?! Yes. Welding is a big deal. I had a dozen conversations with automation experts that included comments about optimizing welding with robots and new automation software. The current workforce of welders is aging out. Young people don’t want do to it. And handing the job off to our digital and robotic counterparts makes a lot of sense when you consider the harsh conditions and bodily strain that comes with fusing metal together. 

—Open-architecture software is everything. Solution-providers here at IMTS are fully embracing this approach, because their customers demand it. 

—AI. AI. AI. I heard that so much, from so many people, in so many different applications that it bears repeating here. It’s a wildly broad term, naturally, and artificial intelligence in the real world varies wildly from one use case to the next. But this much is certain—AI in the industrial space has mainstreamed. 

—An over-arching view. We’ve got a different perspective on IMTS than most attendees, who fall into a solution-provider camp or a solution-seeker camp. As members of the media covering the show and generating content on-site with attendees, the dozen EndeavorB2B professionals at the show were able to generate a broader perspective on industry trends and the motivations of professionals.

And that view of the exhibit hall from our elevated platform—quite literally—gave us a terrific overview of automation activity.

So what does that view tell us? Frankly, that industry is strong. Aisles were packed and exhibitors of all stripes were hustling to keep up with inquiries from potential clients. The global enterprises had impressive booths, of course; Siemens had multiple stations throughout the show that resembled small, futuristic cities.  But startups were represented in the exhibit halls as well. Small booths with staffs of two or three people trying to draw attention to their big ideas.

During an IMTS panel presentation on the different stages of the automation journey, I moderated three industry players who were willing to share their success stories, but just as eager to share with the capacity crowd their automation screw-ups...failed pilots, automated assets going haywire, etc.

Those messages were as critical to our collective learning process as the wins touted by the solution providers here. Automation is evolving in weird and wonderful ways. It truly is a journey rather than a destination. And there is an eagerness—displayed by the throngs of visitors at IMTS with wide eyes and aching feet—to boldly take those next steps.