It’s an unusually chilly January evening even for hearty Minnesotans, but as they are taking down all the banners the organizers have big grins on their faces. The first annual Great Manufacturing Get Together, brought by Manufacturing Success, Hennepin Technical College and Manufacturers Alliance, comes to a close. Those grins said it all—the Great Get Together was a great success! Hundreds of attendees visited the more than 80 sold-out product and service exhibits in the Manufacturing Vendor Fair, attended open meetings of Manufacturers Alliance, Tri-State Manufacturing Association, and the Minnesota Council for Quality to hear from industry leaders, watched robot combat featuring middle school, high school and college teams, and were in the audience for the premier of the Jim Bensen Live show.
Manufacturing-related companies of all types and drew a continuous flow of people through the Hennepin Technical College North Campus. The nearly 600 attendees included 150 technical college students from across the state that came to connect with shops and industry partners.
The grand finale of the Great Get Together was the Jim Bensen Live show “a la Jay Leno.” Dr. Bensen gave his signature flying overhead presentation in front of an almost full 300-seat auditorium. His monologue drew laughs and applause and his line-up of guests was impressive.
First was Peter Eelman, CEO of IMTS 2008, who drafted a very vivid picture of the next IMTS. The entire show will be staged on one level in all four buildings of the new, expanded McCormick Center in downtown Chicago. New technologies will ensure visitors will get the most out of the 13 miles of aisles and 1.3 million square feet of exhibitor displays.
Senator Coleman was not able to attend in person, but addressed issues facing manufacturing in a video made exclusively for the show. The Senator was interviewed by one of manufacturing’s most respected experts, professor and author Dr. Fred Zimmerman.
Another of Dr. Bensen’s guest was Jim Poole, with the JJ Hill Library. Poole gave a brief history of the long-standing James Hill Library in St Paul and shared an overview of the services in place for business and industry. The library keeps apace of the information required by businesses to plan strategies, benchmark performance, and make smart decisions. Patrons can access both digital and human librarians to locate the right information within the huge resources.
Dr. Bensen’s good friend Andy Wells is a Minnesota inventor, a successful businessman and manufacturer, and a dedicated teacher—especially to Native American populations. He showcased some of his inventions from prototype to market-ready and challenged young people to pursue their ideas rather than folding under the pretext that the business world is too complex. Finally, Don Tomann is the (title) of UMC which was recently honored for its support of employee soldiers serving in Iraq. Tomann traveled to DC to receive the Freedom Award from the hands of President Bush. UMC was founded by Terry Tomann, Don’s father, who instilled in him the importance of moral priorities even when one has important economic responsibilities.
Feedback surveys confirm that the Great Manufacturing Get Together is a winner! January 27, 2009 has been set for the second annual event. Already 90% of the vendors have requested to exhibit next year and associations are requesting to again hold their membership meeting at the event. “We are committed to making the Great Manufacturing Get Together the best it can be for manufacturing,” says Charles Arnold, Manufacturing Success Upper Midwest, “that’s all that matters.”
“Our goal in creating the GMGT is to provide a fun and educational networking venue that is open to all manufacturing”, says Charles Arnold, CEO of Manufacturing Success. “Manufacturing is about creativity and thinking outside the box to find solutions; so why should a manufacturing event be any different.”
The GMGT opens at noon with a Manufacturers Alliance meeting titled “Fun Ways to Engage and Retain Employees”. Remmele Engineering, Wells Technology and Navy Island Plywood will share their unique methods in overcoming workforce shortages and retaining issues. Following this meeting the activities come to life as the vendor fair featuring nearly 100 product and service booths ranging from machine tool distributers to work boots opens it door from 1:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
Throughout the day area non-profit associations will be hold meetings and workshops for their members creating continual traffic flow and unique networking opportunities. In the heart of the event, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, manufacturing shops will be showcasing their capabilities in the free Shop2Shop exhibit area. Shop2Shop is designed to introduce area companies to potential outsourcing opportunities with their peers.
In the middle of it all, the Midwest Robotics League competitors will be locked in battle as they put their bot design to the test in head to head robot combat matches. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to watch these students learn about manufacturing the way nature intended; with their hands and minds in a real life situation. Shops will also be introduced to the new Shop-Bots league that will allow them to form a team and compete for cash prizes and team sponsorships at the Mall of America, MN State Fair and IMTS 2008 in Chicago where they will go head to head against shop bots from Wisconsin.
A free dinner buffet will be served to all attendee from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm as guest enjoy the final hour of the vendor fair. At 6:00 pm all events will be closed as we prepare for the premier of “Jim Bensen Live”, a sort of manufacturing tonight show. Jim Bensen Live will feature host Dr. James Bensen, a true leader is futuristic thinking and a dynamic speaker who will address the audience and then introduce and interview “celebrities” in the manufacturing world. To date guest include: Peter Eelman, CEO of IMTS 2008, the largest manufacturing tradeshow in the country, Andy Wells, President of Wells Technology, holders of over 300 patents, Don Tomann, president of UMC, recently received an invitation the Whitehouse to personally receive an award from President George W. Bush. Guests pending final confirmation include: Senator Norm Coleman, and Ken Melrose, former CEO of Toro.
The GMGT is free for all manufacturing employees, managers, engineers and shop owners. Attendees that register their attendance by January 18, 2008 will be entered to win a free trip to IMTS 2008 with air, hotel and ground transportation included. Likewise any manufacturing job shop that would like to exhibit in the Shop2Shop Capability Showcase may do so for free as long as we have booths open. Any product or service company that would like to exhibit should contact Manufacturing Success for an exhibitors packet.
Contact Charles Arnold at charles@mfgsuccess.com for more information or to register your attendance.
More information on http://greatmanufacturinggettogether.com
