IMTS 2026 will be filled with opportunities to excel, according to an early preview from Doug Woods, president of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, featured on the Tom and Lonnie Chat (TLC) podcast. Woods sat down with the TLC crew to discuss all the details of IMTS 2026, which is now less than a year away. He highlighted a few technologies and themes that will dominate the 10 technology sectors, on-site educational conferences, and many attractions at IMTS 2026 on September 14-19, at McCormick Place in Chicago. AI will be everywhere. Additive manufacturing will be showcased throughout the South Hall and featured prominently at the show. Automation will be ubiquitous and easier to use than ever before. And the IMTS audience continues to grow – both in size and in industries and specialties represented. AI Is Here, There, and Everywhere IMTS is always a good barometer of industry trends. Themes that emerge across IMTS booths are indicative of larger industry movements. In 2026, Woods expects AI to be a unifying theme – from tools that integrate AI capabilities to software that applies the power of AI to specific pain points. In addition to new AI solutions in booths across the show, visitors will also find AI-centric content at attractions, conferences, and on the main stage. Industry experts will delve into how AI is transforming – and advancing – manufacturing technology. Additive Continues To Grow At IMTS 2026, the South Building will feature the growing Additive Manufacturing Sector, accelerated by Formnext. Since its introduction as a separate area at IMTS 2014, the additive sector has continued to grow exponentially, while additive manufacturing capabilities have been integrated into technology showcased throughout the show. “The Emerging Technology Center at IMTS was developed to take a closer look at the near future of the industry, at what is going to be driving innovation in the next two to five years. At IMTS 2014, we built the Strati, the first-ever 3D printed car, and drove it off the show floor. We knew then that additive manufacturing was going to fundamentally change manufacturing,” Woods says. “The impact of additive now permeates every facet of manufacturing.” Automation Goes Elementary Automation continues to be the fastest-growing sector in the manufacturing industry and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future, Woods notes. Even better, the automation technologies developed to make production easier are now remarkably intuitive. “The implementation of UI/UX principles is making it easier to program and integrate automation,” Woods explains. “This is important because 30-40% of manufacturing equipment in the U.S. market is sold to contract manufacturers with small shops, averaging 27 employees. Automation is now so user friendly that it is easy to deploy in smaller shops. Automation can fill in the gaps where shops don’t have enough employees or where they need to move talented employees to more complex tasks.” Attendee Base Expands IMTS visitors can expect to find exhibitors ranging from manufacturing giants to start-ups to Fortune 100 companies – all ready to cater their tools and technologies to the needs of the manufacturing industry. Beyond the many new and returning exhibitors, the IMTS attendee pool continues to expand. Major space and defense contractors, tech companies, and innovative start-ups are sending teams of experts to IMTS to discover technologies that can help improve and expand their operations. “We have seen our attendee base grow well beyond the typical industry types. Companies are sending bigger teams, more people with purchasing power, and more engineers and application leads to IMTS to find technology solutions,” Woods notes. “The electricity of IMTS is undeniable. It is the biggest consumption market for manufacturing technology – with 80% of attendees having purchasing power,” Woods continues. “Simply put, you want to be at this show. This is the market. This is the time. And IMTS is the place.” See dozens of additive technologies and speak with experts in the Additive Manufacturing Sector, accelerated by Formnext, at IMTS 2026, Sept. 12-19, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Register at IMTS.com/Register.
From the prominence of AI to the integration of additive manufacturing to the simplification of automation, IMTS 2026 promises to be a show full of A+ opportunities. Tune in as AMT President Doug Woods previews the next iteration of manufacturing’s biggest show on the Tom and Lonnie Chat.
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