2010 Manufacturing/Automation Summit

The issue of energy, sustainability, asset management and maintenance effectiveness are top of mind for every plant manager and manufacturing executive these days. In 2010, those issues and many more will be addressed in one Forum. The 2010 Manufacturing/Automation Summit, hosted by Plant Engineering and Control Engineering, will be held March 28-30 at the Hotel Sofitel in Chicago.

December 1, 2009

The issue of energy, sustainability, asset management and maintenance effectiveness are top of mind for every plant manager and manufacturing executive these days. In 2010, those issues and many more will be addressed in one Forum.

The 2010 Manufacturing/Automation Summit, hosted by Plant Engineering and Control Engineering, will be held March 28-30 at the Hotel Sofitel in Chicago. The three-day event will bring together some of the top industry experts to tackle key issues facing manufacturing in the U.S., and will explore how manufacturers can take advantage of the rapidly-expanding global manufacturing market.

The 2010 Summit also will recognize companies developing new products to drive greater efficiency and productivity in manufacturing with two awards events. Finally, the 2010 Top Plant winner, Siemens Industry Inc. of Norwood, OH, will be honored at the Top Plant breakfast.

For the fifth straight year, IBM will be the platinum sponsor of the Manufacturing/Automation Summit. Other sponsors for the 2010 event include Infor, Mobil Industrial Lubricants, Siemens and Hannover Messe.

“After such a challenging year for manufacturing, we see signs of recovery in the market,” said publisher Jim Langhenry. “The 2010 Summit is especially important because we’re going to offer real solutions for manufacturing executives and plant floor leaders to help them take advantage of the recovery. This will help them get ahead of their competitors as the recovery takes hold.”

The 2010 Manufacturing/Automation Summit will begin on Sunday, March 28 with a cocktail reception and awards event for the 2010 Control Engineering Engineers’ Choice Awards. The evening will continue with a night of entertainment at Chicago’s famed Second City comedy club.

On Monday, March 29, the Summit’s work begins at 9 a.m. with a discussion of enterprise asset management led by Plant Engineering editor Bob Vavra. At 10:30 a.m., a panel of experts will look at ways to turn your maintenance operation from a cost center into a profit center.

After lunch, Control Engineering editorial director David Greenfield will lead a discussion on issues surrounding energy and sustainability, an issue of growing importance to manufacturers of all types.

At 6 p.m. on Monday, a cocktail reception will precede the presentation of the 2009 Plant Engineering Product of the Year awards. Winners in 17 categories will be honored with this year’s trophies.

On Tuesday, March 30 at 8 a.m., the 2009 Top Plant award winner, Siemens Industry Inc. in Norwood, OH will receive its award. Part of the breakfast presentation will include an announcement about the 2010 Future 30 initiative, which will recognize outstanding young manufacturing leaders. The Future 30 program is sponsored by Plant Engineering and Mobil Industrial Lubricants.

That will be followed at 9 a.m. by a look at global manufacturing and how U.S. manufacturers can grow their existing business in a changing international environment. As part of that discussion, Plant Engineering will present findings of its 2010 Changing World study.

The 2010 Summit will conclude with a box lunch and tour of the S&C Electric plant in Chicago. S&C Electric is Chicago’s largest manufacturing operation and a past Top Plant award recipient.

“We’ve worked to fill the 2010 Manufacturing/Automation Summit with a tremendous amount of information in a short period of time,” Langhenry said. “We will give attendees a chance to provide solutions for some of the problems our readers tell us are most important to them. The 2010 Summit has been priced to make it very cost-effective, and by bringing the event to Chicago, we’ve made it a convenient transportation stop.”

The $395 conference fee includes passes to all events and all meals on-site at the Hotel Sofitel. For 2010, attendees who pay the $395 conference fee can bring a friend or colleague at no additional cost.

To register for the 2010 Manufacturing/Automation Summit, go to the 2010 Summit registration page at www.plantengineering.com/summit or www.controleng.com/summit .