Once again, it's time for the National Industrial Automation Show and National Manufacturing Week. As manufacturing professionals prepare for the big show, they may be wondering which conferences, seminars, and exhibits will tune them in to the future of manufacturing.

It should be obvious by now that it's important to stay focused on the growing presence of the Internet and how it's being used to help manufacturing industries.

The following are some NMW 2000 events that will spotlight Internet use in manufacturing.

The show kicks off Mar. 13 at 9 a.m. with the event-wide keynote presentation by Dow Bauknight, Andersen Consulting's vp of global supply chain management.

A particularly interesting keynote will take place on Mar. 14 at 12:30 p.m. The title is "Information Darwinism—The Internet and Its Impact on Manufacturers," and it will be presented by Eric Marks, principal consultant at Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

The "IT in the Enterprise" conference track contains numerous seminars that deal with the Internet, including:

• "e-Development Portals: Leveraging the Internet in an Extended Product," Mar. 13;
• "After the Year 2000—The New e-Commerce World," Mar. 13;
• "e-Manufacturing: Making IT Succeed," Mar. 13;
• "Is Your Business Ready for the Web?" Mar. 14;
• "Best Manufacturer Web Sites Panel," Mar. 14;
• "ERP and Internet Collaboration," Mar. 15;
• "Internet-based SCADA," Mar. 15; and
• "Using the Internet to Improve the Design Process," Mar. 16.

Useful seminars from other conference tracks include:

• "Guide to Developing an Internet Training Program," Mar. 13;
• "Integrating the Supply Chain—Practical e-Business Solutions for Manufacturers," Mar. 13;
• "Web-based HMI/CE," Mar. 15;
• "How to Market Your Business and Sell Your Product on the Internet," Mar. 15;
• "Extending the Benefits of e-Commerce to Maintenance, Repair, and Operations," Mar. 15;
• "Making Maximum Use of the Internet," Mar. 16; and
• "Leveraging e-Business by Integrating Planning and Execution," Mar. 16.

Manufacturing Marketplace's Cyber Café will once again run throughout the entire length of the show. Enjoy a cup of coffee while exploring the manufacturing world online.