In perhaps another sign that things are looking up for the North American manufacturing economy, attendance at this year’s Automation Fair, sponsored by Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee, was up by 65 percent over 2002.
In fact, according to Rockwell, the 8,066 customers who attended the Nov. 18-20 event represent the second highest total in the Fair’s 12-year history, topped only by the 9,540 customers recorded in 1997. Prior to this year’s event, Automation Fair had seen two straight years of attendance declines, in line with the downturn in the U.S. economy.
Counting third-party exhibitors and others, nearly 14,600 attended this year’s Automation Fair, Rockwell says. The Fair featured 21 Rockwell Automation exhibits, 110 third-party exhibits, 49 technical sessions and 24 hands-on labs. Hands-on lab attendance totaled 5,984, while 10,204 took advantage of technical sessions. A total of 77 editors representing 65 publications attended the Rockwell Global Media Summit, held on the day prior to the three-day Fair.
Next year’s Automation Fair will be held Oct. 25-28 at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla.
