This year, WESTEC had more than 10,000 attendees for a show that was normally held in March.  Show organizers decided to move the show up to October, in the hopes it would increase the attendance. 

“The decision seemed to be a good one, as WESTEC saw 10,000 more square feet of exhibitor space and 1 million more pounds of machinery on the show floor compared to last year,” said Christine Longroy, events manager for Society of Manufacturing Engineers/WESTEC.

This year’s show, held Oct. 15-17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, showcased the future of manufacturing, with the latest technology and information from the leaders in that sector.

“We saw approximately 27 percent of the attendees being in an engineering job function and a good diversity among technologies the attendees came to learn more about and evaluate for a potential future purchase,” said Lori Dick, public relations manager at SME.

He added, “Technology is changing quickly, and this show provides the opportunity for our attendees to understand how the technological innovations can work for their company.”

First time attendee Brandi Frymer from Blaser was very excited about the show.  “As a first time attendee and new to manufacturing, I knew the show would be a great way to learn more about this industry,” he said. “So far, the show has been fascinating and the exhibits have been great sources of information.”

Marius Mazur, sales specialist for first-time exhibitor EMAG, said, “We were interested in checking out the west coast for our industry, and knew WESTEC would be a great show to test the waters and make contacts.”

He added, “Attendees at the show are looking for different types of manufacturing, including the precision manufacturing EMAG provides.”

Exhibitors came to do business with attendees, with both space in the booth to conduct meetings and machinery in the exhibits that demonstrated new technology.

“We have attended this show for several years, and we are excited to get attendees into our booth,” said Bryan Jacobs, marketing communications manager at CG Tech. “While we were surprised the show was moved up on the calendar, we are optimistic on how that decision impacts our attendee booth traffic.” 

First-time attendee Mike McMullen, U.S. manufacturing manager from Packers Plus, normally attends the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago and was pleasantly surprised by WESTEC. “I have seen a lot of new technology on the show floor, and getting some great ideas from the exhibits,” he said. “I am glad I was able to make it over to this show and check it out.”

The show takes place every other year and will again be at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2015.