SME-AMTDA Alliance to Continue Through 2017
DEARBORN, Mich., August 31, 2006 - The Society of Manufacturing Engineers
(SME) today announced it will continue its trade show alliance with the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) through 2017 for all Advanced Productivity Expositions (APEX) shows. Currently, SME, AMTDA and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) partner on this series of regional trade shows. Two of these shows, WESTEC and EASTEC, ranked in the Tradeshow 200 in 2005 as two of the largest trade shows in the country, according to the publication Tradeshow Week.
"This agreement solidifies our working relationship with both partners. It is in the best interest of the manufacturing industry and the companies that sell equipment and those that purchase the equipment to improve their production," said Gary Mikola, director of expositions for SME.
John Healy, president of AMTDA echoed those sentiments, "AMTDA Members value this agreement and the working relationship with our SME and AMT partners to bring value to the marketplace."
In 2006, the WESTEC & EASTEC show floors each increased in size by more than 10,000 square feet. WESTEC, the West Coast's main manufacturing resource which annually takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will be held March 26-29, 2007. EASTEC, the Northeast's premier manufacturing event which held annually at the Eastern States Exposition Center in West Springfield, Massachusetts, takes place May 22-24, 2007.
Other APEX shows already scheduled for 2007 include:
" Houstex - Houston, TX - March 6-8, 2007 " Great Lakes - Grand Rapids, MI - September 18-20, 2007 " SOUTH-TEC - Charlotte, NC - October 2-4, 2007
About SME:
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing engineers and executives annually. The Society has members in 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of chapters worldwide.
About AMTDA:
Since 1925, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) has been a major voice within the machine tool industry. AMTDA reporesents distributors and worldwide builders of machine tools and related products used in the metalworking industry. The Association's mission is to provide marketers of manufacturing technology the essential services necessary to develop and perpetutate distribution businesses that make vital contributions to North American manufacturing. AMTDA's member companies encompass over 80 percent of all distribution sales in the United States and serve as a vital link between builders and end-users of machine tools and related products.
Contact:
Alex Yovanovich
SME Public Relations
(313) 717-2091
communications@sme.org
John Healy
AMTDA President
(301) 738-1200
jhealy@amtda.org
