With this year marking its 20th anniversary, Austech 2019 gets underway next Tuesday, running from 14-17 May at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) – and it’s set to be the biggest Austech yet.
Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition. In total, more than 150 organisations will be putting their products and services on display within Austech this year. Moreover, with a high number of exhibitors opting to book substantially larger stands than in previous years, the exhibition floor space will occupy more than 6,000sqm – a footprint unprecedented in two decades of Austech expos.
“We’ve been quite blown away by the bookings this time round,” says Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager and Austech organiser. “The fact that exhibitors have been booking early and taking larger stands suggests people in the industry are anticipating significant sales activity at this year’s show. We’re also well ahead in terms of advanced registrations from people booking in to visit the show. This year’s Austech is going to be packed.”
The high take-up for this year’s event builds on the momentum established with Austech 2017, which was the most successful edition of the show in several years. Together Austech and NMW attracted 11,501 visitors two years ago, the highest turnout since 2009. This included a strong interstate contingent – with almost one-fifth of those in attendance travelling from outside Victoria – as well as impressive growth in the number of international visitors, from as far afield as China, Taiwan and India.
Austech 2019 takes place amid a period of sustained activity growth across Australian manufacturing. The positive outlook for the industry is reflected in the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index, which has shown a trend of near-continuous growth over the last few years. And this optimism has been clear as preparations for Austech 2019 have continued. The early interest from exhibitors, as well as the enthusiasm expressed by people planning to visit the show, are indicative of strong positive sentiment across the industry and a willingness to invest for the future.
Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech 2019 will be an unmissable event for manufacturing professionals. More than 10,000 industrial decision makers are expected to attend the exhibition, seizing the opportunity to see the latest technology up close and learn what it can bring their businesses. Every aspect of manufacturing technology will be covered, from enormous laser cutters and press brakes, down to the tiniest precision cutting tools, as well as state-of-the-art support systems, software and accessories, and the myriad services that are essential to any manufacturing operation.
As well as breaking records in terms of sheer size, this year’s Austech will offer an ever wider spectrum of technologies vital to the modern manufacturing business. To help visitors to the show navigate such a diverse line-up of exhibits, Austech 2019 will feature more specially dedicated areas focusing on specific, specialised technologies. New to this year’s show will be the Air Technology Pavilion, which will showcase the latest compressor systems and associated air technologies. Meanwhile, having made its debut at Austech 2017, the Digitalisation Pavilion will again be exploring how developments in digital technology are ushering in a new era of smart, connected manufacturing.
Also making its return will be the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion, spotlighting the latest advances in 3D printing. This will be complemented by Unlimit3D, a two-day conference on additive manufacturing that will take place alongside Austech on 14-15 May. AMTIL has assembled an outstanding line-up of expert speakers for Unlimit3D, meaning the MCEC will absolutely be the place to be for anyone with an interest in this remarkable technology.
Finally, the Manufacturers Pavilion is now a well-esablished part of Austech, showcasing the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. As well as a diverse array of Australian component manufacturers, precision engineering firms, toolmakers, advanced manufacturers and general engineering companies, the Manufacturers Pavilion will feature major exhibits from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including BAE Systems Australia and Volgren.
With so much on display, at such a big show, the challenge for visitors to Austech 2019 might just be getting round to seeing everything on display. Fortunately, help is available; Austech’s organisers have partnered up with event management software specialists Map Your Show to create a set of online tools to help you plan your visit in advance. The tools are accessible via the Austech website, so you can start mapping out your movements at Austech right now.
“I think it’s safe to say we’ve got every part of manufacturing you could think of covered at Austech 2019,” adds Banks. “It’s definitely got something for everyone with an interest in manufacturing. Just make sure you leave yourself time to see it all.”