2020 AMUG Conference: The AM community gets set to regroup in Chicago
February 6, 2020
The annual AMUG Conference is for many in the AM industry the first ‘must attend’ event of the new working year; a place where participants are ready once again to discover, learn, share and network.
Taking place in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from March 22–26, 2020, the thirty-second AMUG Conference will at once retain the spirit of its ‘Additive Manufacturing Users Group’ roots whilst continuing its evolution into an event which is fully relevant to a new generation of AM professionals – who are entering into a very different industry to that of previous decades.
With an ever-busier global AM events calendar, AMUG stands above the crowd to its regular participants as an event like no other. Crucially, attendance is restricted to those that operate or own AM technology in a professional setting. It is, therefore, a gathering of AM users, of all experience levels, who together provide and share insights and experiences to increase AM’s value across industry.
Whilst this creates an immersive environment where everyone who chooses can ‘contribute to the conversation’, it does not mean that you’ll miss the opportunity to meet with industry suppliers if you wish to. The AMUGexpo, which the organisers are always keen to stress is ‘not a tradeshow’, allows attendees to network with fellow participants and speak with exhibitors over dinner and drinks.
In the five years that the Metal AM magazine team has attended as a media partner, the AMUG Conference has not only steadily grown in numbers, but the organisers have managed to keep the event’s focus ‘on point’ as the industry moves towards volume production. This is reflected by the growing importance of metal Additive Manufacturing within the overall programme.
The conference that never stands still…
This year’s AMUG Conference again offers a range of technical sessions and hands-on workshops designed to help users get more from, and do more with, their AM systems. However, building on the success of last year’s event, the 2020 conference programme will deliver even more training and hands-on experiences. The Training Lab, introduced in 2019, will again offer an engaging learning environment where AM tools are the focal point of the information exchange.
In addition to over 160 conference presentations, the sixth annual Innovators Showcase will feature an on-stage interview with 2020 Innovators Award Recipient Dr Hans J Langer, founder and former CEO of EOS GmbH and now CEO and Chairman of EOS Group. Previous recipients include Chuck Hull, co-founder of 3D Systems; Carl Deckard, creator of Selective Laser Sintering; Scott Crump, co-founder of Stratasys; Fried Vancraen, founder of Materialise; and Gideon Levy, leading developer of AM materials and technologies.
For those thinking of attending AMUG for the first time this year, some insider tips: book as early as you can, as the event is likely to be a sell-out; other than the surprise off-site party, be prepared to never have to leave the venue – from breakfast to the early hours, each day is packed with fully catered social events and free bars; take a lot of business cards – from ‘pick a table number out of a hat’ lunchtime seating to vibrant casino nights, you’ll meet a lot of new faces. Hope to see you there!
