Let me start with by saying I will not be attending the 2020 IFPE Show this March 10-14. When the show begins, I’ll just be returning from my trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I will have been just married on the sunny beach to my beautiful soul mate, Caryes Allan. Three weeks out of the office just was not in the cards. Sorry not sorry. You, however, should absolutely attend the 2020 IFPE show, and here are my Top 5 reasons why.
1. This is the North American fluid power conference and exhibit. It only happens every few years and is the one all the exhibitors bank on. If a fluid power company is to only display at one event, this is it. Everybody who’s everybody is at this show, making it the most highly attended for both exhibitors and visitors alike.
You will find the biggest, boldest booths from all the leading fluid power, um, powerhouses of our industry. The `Big Three` each have booths in the thousands of square feet, and this was before Danfoss bought Eaton. The event is a real spectacle, and the technology on display at this show cannot be found anywhere outside of Germany.
2. You get the chance to meet the team from WTWH Media LLC (did you know it stands for Willing To Work Harder?). Their entire team from nearly will be out in full force. Visit the Fluid Power World team at booth S80752 for some complimentary magazine issues, talk with the editorial team and see if you can snag some video camera time to promote your fluid power business. Please do me a favour and give Paul Heney and Mary Gannon a hug for me.
3. Industry 4.0 will be at the forefront. I feel like every conference I’ve attended in the past two years has had someone presenting on IoT and Industry 4.0, imparting where it’s taking the fluid power industry. The IFPE show will be your chance to check out the top manufacturers with the technology on display.
This industry has advanced exponentially in the past three years since the last show, and manufacturers want you to know it. Stop by all the big guys (and the little disrupters) to see what they have to offer. From augmented reality to flexible manufacturing, there will be so much to see in 2020.
4. The IFPE show is co-exhibiting with the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 show. You can’t miss the booms, buckets, lifts and cranes all over the outdoor floor space. You can check out the IFPE space to see what’s new from hundreds of exhibitors and then see all the machines the components made it into at CONEXPO.
IFPE 2020 is the place to be if you’re a fluid power aficionado, and I recommend you take the whole week to see everything you can. Even aside from the displays, technology and machinery, this will be the ultimate networking event to find new customers, dynamic suppliers or potential partners.
5. It’s in Las Vegas. Sure, this show would be a hit even in Minneapolis. Still, when you combine the allure of Sin City with the business of hydraulics, everyone wins. The show runs until 5 p.m. most days, giving you the chance to experience all the city has to offer each evening and through the night.
If you’ve never been to Las Vegas, it’s almost impossible to prepare you for the spectacle. Even if you are over gambling at the casinos on the strip, the city has so much to offer the taste of any tourist. From the best stage shows on the planet to the world-famous gourmet restaurants, there something spectacular for everyone.