Frequently Asked Questions
International Manufacturing Technology Show
September 14 - 19, 2026
McCormick Place
2301 S Lake Shore Drive | Chicago, IL | 60616
Show Management
IMTS is owned and operated by:
AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology
7901 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 900
McLean, VA 22102-4206 US
For more information call us at 703.827.5241 or 800.995.9294
- What are the show dates?
- September 14-19, 2026
- What are the show hours?
-
Show Hours (all hours are central time) Building / Level Exhibit Hall Hours East Building, Level 3 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. West Building, Level 3 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. North Building, Level 3 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. South Building, Level 3 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. North Building, Level 2 (Student Summit) 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Monday - Friday)
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Saturday) - Are “Exhibit Hall Only” tickets valid for all six days?
- YES. An “Exhibit Hall Only” ticket provides access to the show floor for the full duration of IMTS 2026.
- Do I receive my badge in the mail?
- Attendee badges are mailed out to all domestic registrants. However, you may also pick up your badge upon arrival on-site at any of the badge pick-up locations in each building.
- When will I receive my badge?
- Anyone registering after August 10, 2026, should plan to pick up the badge onsite at one of the four registration areas at IMTS 2026.
- Can I register on-site?
- YES, on-site registration will be available. Please note that the discounted registration deadline ends on August 1, 2026. If you register on-site, you will pay a higher fee than the discounted rate available before August 1, 2026.
- I just registered and never received confirmation?
- Call the Maritz registration team at 508-743-8535 or email imts2026@maritz.com.
- Do I need to purchase a badge for my child?
- All attendees on the Show Floor must be badged. Call the Maritz registration team at 508-743-8535 or email imts2026@maritz.com to register a young child/infant free of charge.
- How do I get my registration receipt?
- Visit the registrant resource center for a registration receipt. You can also use the same link to email yourself another copy of your confirmation details. You can also reach out to the Maritz registration team at 508-743-8535 or email imts2026@maritz.com.
- When does Conference Registration open?
- Conference registration for attendees is now open. To add conferences to an existing registration, visit the registration portal and go to “Update or Add to My Registration”. Once you're logged in, select “add items.” Once there, you can browse all conferences and their descriptions and add the program(s) of your choice. Conference pricing includes the cost to attend IMTS so when you check out, you will receive a credit if you had previously registered for IMTS.
- If I purchase Conference Registration, do I also need to purchase access to the Exhibit Halls?
- NO, purchase of any conference ticket provides access to the show floor for the full duration of IMTS 2026.
- Is there one Conference Registration I can purchase to give me access to all of the conferences at IMTS 2026?
- NO, conferences need to be purchased individually. They are listed separately in the registration portal.
- Are there any educational sessions that are included with my show registration?
- Yes! There are several programs that offer "free" education sessions that are included with your registration to IMTS 2026. To browse these sessions, select "Conferences" from the main navigation at the top of the screen, and then click on the tile entitled "Stages & Hubs (Included with Show)". This will give you a list of sessions that you can attend without purchasing additional conference registration.
- Are there any special tickets for students and educators?
- YES, registration for the SmartForce Student Summit is free for all students and educators from K-12 schools, universities, community colleges, and trade schools.
- When can I book my hotel room?
- The IMTS 2026 Hotel Block is open. Book your room(s) now. Email Housing@imts.com with any questions.
- Are any airlines offering discount flights to Chicago?
- IMTS 2026 has partnered with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines for disounted airfare to Chicago. United Airlines is offering an up to 7% discount on airfare to Chicago. Please visit their site to view rates and to book your flight(s). Southwest Airlines is pleased to offer IMTS 2026 attendees discounts ranging from 4-10% based on the chosen fare. To utilize the discount, book via SWABIZ® using this link. Discount valid for travel 9/8/2026 to 9/23/2026.
- What kind of transportation does IMTS provide for attendees?
- A complimentary shuttle bus service is available on show days, September 14 – 19, 2026, to and from most official show hotels and McCormick Place.
- How do I reserve a parking spot?
- Reserve parking through the McCormick Place website using the link below.
https://www.mccormickplace.com/getting-here/parking-rates/ - Can I bring a backpack into McCormick Place / Show Floor?
- YES, you can bring a backpack into McCormick Place as well as the IMTS Show Floor.
- How can I see who is exhibiting at IMTS 2026?
- You can either view the FLOORPLAN or look up exhibitors within the FIND EXHIBITORS tab on IMTS.com by company name or keyword. You can make a schedule by logging into your IMTS Show Planner – this will also be visible in the IMTS 2026 App.
- Does Show Management provide an attendee list for IMTS attendees, exhibitors, or potential exhibitors?
- NO. If you receive an email or phone call from someone offering to sell an IMTS attendee list, it is a scam and should be ignored.
- Is there a coat and baggage check?
- YES, there are two locations at IMTS 2026. One is in the South Building in room S100C (located to the right of Gate 4 when entering through McCormick Square). The second one is located in the East Building in room E256 (directly near registration).
- Who do I contact if my question has not been answered?
- Send an email to info@imts.com or call the IMTS Attendee line at 800-995-9294 if you have any additional questions.
- How do I set up a Show Planner account?
- You can create a free Show Planner account by selecting Show Planner in the site navigation.
Enter your email address. If you already have an account, you'll be prompted to enter your password. If you're creating a new account, the system will check whether you have a registration (badge) ID that can be associated with your account.
Be sure to use the same email address for your Show Planner account that you used – or plan to use – for show registration.
Once your account is created, the onboarding wizard will ask a series of questions about your interests and attendance plans. Your answers will help the system provide personalized recommendations for exhibitors, products, and sessions. Simply follow the on-screen prompts to complete your setup. - How do Show Planner recommendations work?
- Your recommendations will be based on your interests and the days you plan to attend IMTS. As you use the Show Planner and save products, exhibitors, and sessions, the system will continue to provide recommendations that align with your interests and saved items.
- How do I use the Let's Fill This In feature?
- The Let's Fill This In feature uses the interests and attendance information you provide in the Show Planner to recommend sessions that fit your plans.
The system considers:
- The topics and technologies you're most interested in.
- The days you plan to attend IMTS.
- The sessions that are available during your scheduled time at the show.
- Based on this information, the system will recommend sessions that align with your interests and fit your onsite schedule.
- How do I use the Plan My Smartest Route feature?
- Once you've saved exhibitors, sessions, products, and other items to your Show Planner, you can use Plan My Smartest Route to create a customized itinerary.
The feature is designed to help you visit all of your saved destinations in the most efficient order possible, requiring the least amount of steps. Saved sessions—with their set times and locations—serve as anchor points for building your itinerary.
If you have sessions scheduled on specific days, the planner will build the rest of your itinerary around those sessions. If you're attending the show on additional days, you can recalculate your Smartest Route each day.
To use this feature, go to your Show Planner dashboard and select Plan My Smartest Route at the bottom of the Ask IMTS dialog box. - How do I use the Networking feature?
- If you're registered as an attendee for IMTS 2026, you'll have access to the Networking feature in the Show Planner.
Before you can message another user—or receive messages from them—both users must consent to the connection. New connection requests and messages from approved connections will appear in the Notifications area of the Show Planner.
To view existing connections or search for new ones, select Networking from the left-side navigation. You'll see three tabs:
- Connections: View people you've successfully connected with through the Show Planner.
- Messages: View your chat history with your connections.
- Search People: Search for people by name or company using the search box on the top right of the screen; you can then sort via the options on the left side. Select Connect beneath a user's profile to send a connection request.
- How do I access the AI Assistant, ‘Ask IMTS’?
- After logging in to the Show Planner, you'll find the Ask IMTS dialog box in the upper-right corner of your Show Planner dashboard. You will also see a purple icon in the lower right of the page – clicking that icon will open the Ask IMTS dialog box.
Use Ask IMTS to find exhibitors, sessions, products, and other show information. You can also ask general questions about IMTS.
The assistant will search for the most relevant information and may ask follow-up questions when additional details are needed to provide the best answer. - Does the Show Planner integrate with the mobile app?
- Yes! Everything you save in your Show Planner will automatically sync with the IMTS mobile app once you download and log in.
You can also use the mobile app to add exhibitors, sessions, and other items to your planner. Any new selections will sync with your Show Planner when you access it from the website on a computer or other device. - What features are available in the mobile app?
- The IMTS mobile app includes all of the features available in the desktop Show Planner, plus additional tools designed for use while you're onsite at McCormick Place.
With the mobile app, you can:
- Search for exhibitors, sessions, and products.
- Find important show information and onsite logistics.
- Get walkable, turn-by-turn directions to your next destination. If your phone's GPS is enabled, the app will use your current location. If GPS is unavailable, you can enter a starting point, such as a nearby booth.
- Find special offers available exclusively to show attendees.
- Use Onsite Photos to take and store photos of products and exhibits.
- Tag photos with exhibitor names so you can easily remember where you found them.
- Add personalized notes to your photos to document your show experience.
- Can I print out a copy of or share my schedule or my list of saved exhibitors?
- Yes. You can download, print, and share a PDF version of your full schedule and exhibitor list by clicking on the "Print" button in the upper right corner of your Show Planner dashboard.
- What is the Smart-Scan Feature and How do I use it?
- Meet someone you want to remember? Scan their badge, business card, or their unique QR code in the app, and you're instantly connected – their information is saved to your Connections, and yours is saved to theirs.
See an exhibitor you want to remember? Scan the QR code at their booth and we'll automatically mark them as Visited in your planner.
Before the show: Download the app and create your Show Planner so you're ready to scan, connect, and start exploring as soon as you arrive.
And when the show is over, everything comes home with you. Your Connections show the people you met, while your Trip Report brings together the exhibitors you visited, favorites, notes, onsite photos, and connections – ready to save or share with your team.
Look for the scanner icon in the top-right corner of the app. It's always just one tap away.