Organizers of Canada’s largest venue for the manufacturing industry are expecting this year’s Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS) to be bigger and better than previous years.
In part, it’s because organizes – and industry – are buoyed by recent Statistics Canada data that shows manufacturing sales are growing.
CMTS 2011 takes place October 17-20 at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto and thousands are expected to flow in from across the country to see what the expanded event – show exhibitors is up 33 per cent from the previous year – has to offer manufacturers.
According to the recent Statistics Canada data, manufacturing sales are up in seven provinces, with the largest gains in Ontario coming from the transportation equipment, miscellaneous manufacturing, and petroleum and coal product industries. In total, higher sales were reported in 15 of 21 industries, a sign that Canadian manufacturers are continuing to rebound, says Nick Samain, event manager with show organizer the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), noting that many are also learning to reinvent themselves, like the auto parts factories in Windsor, ON, that recently made headline news for successfully transitioning to green energy manufacturing.
“Mirroring the growth of the industry, the significant increase in both CMTS exhibitor and visitor interest reinforces the important role manufacturing continues to play in Canada,” Samain explains, adding that a new international component of the show being introduced for the first time – featuring suppliers from more than 40 countries – demonstrates that countries worldwide recognize Canada’s pivotal role in manufacturing as well.
“Manufacturing is the number one driver for the Canadian economy, with the success of manufacturers directly related to the standard of living of our country as a whole,” Samain emphasizes, noting that one manufacturing job typically leads to the creation of six additional jobs.
Highlights of CMTS 2011 include:
- Words to Inspire Innovation: Provocative speaker Kevin O’Leary, best known for bringing budding entrepreneurs to tears as the ruthless “show me the money” judge on CBC Television’s Dragon’s Den, delivers the opening keynote at 9:00 am on October 17.
- APMA Automotive Summit: Automotive insight journalist and TV host John McElroy is expected to make automakers sit up and take notice as he moderates a roundtable discussion, sponsored by the Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association, at 9:00 am on October 18.
- Take Back Manufacturing Forum – Members of the forum, launched in June by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, will be on hand to express the need to reduce imports and bring manufacturing back home to Canada. Presentations will highlight the need to put more emphasis on having the right infrastructure in place to ensure its success, including retraining and re-education initiatives.
- Innovation Alley: Students from McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, will demonstrate a hybrid car, solar car and Baja car (small off-road cars that are designed as part of an intercollegiate competition held by the Society of Automotive Engineers), as they present recent innovations in materials and manufacturing, rapid prototyping, process optimization and production monitoring, which organizers say lead to some of the most innovative patents in Canada.
- India Show Pavilion: For the first time in Canada, nearly 200 Indian companies will come together to showcase developments in defence, heavy industry, science and technology, and renewable energy, and to explore business and export opportunities. As part of the showcase, CMTS visitors will get a preview of Tata Motors’ Tata Nano car, which will be unveiled at the show.
For details and more highlights, visit CMTS online.
