WESTEC, the premiere West Coast manufacturing event, returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center with a renewed sense of direction and a new date – October 15-17, 2013. With the 2013 event, WESTEC will now become a biennial fall event focused on the industries and companies that make manufacturing thrive in the Western region and beyond.
The decision to move the event was the result of several significant influencers. One was the desire to build on the success of the 2012 event and the ongoing growth and strength of the industry. Another was feedback from WESTEC exhibitors and attendees – who were queried for their thoughts and opinions of the event.
“Over the last year, we made a conscious effort to listen and understand the needs of our customers and partners,” said Christine Longroy, WESTEC event manager. “We know they have to maximize their outreach and marketing budgets, and moving WESTEC to the fall beginning in 2013 is the direct result of us responding to that feedback.”
Over the course of more than 40 years, WESTEC has grown into the premiere think tank event on the West Coast for leaders from diverse industries. It has also become a showcase for innovation, including 3D printing and additive manufacturing, as well as micro and nano manufacturing. Last year’s event focused on those areas via a New Product Presentation Center and Learning Lounges to share information in a more intimate setting.
“WESTEC is probably the best regional show on the West Coast,” said Duane Drape, Horn USA, a company renowned for its manufacture of precision cutting tools for the metalworking industry. “It draws the most attendance, as well as a customer base that comes looking for solutions to their problems.”
WESTEC, produced by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, is focused on addressing the evolving manufacturing industry, helping attendees network, build partnerships, highlight new products and processes, and put new solutions front-and-center. Some of the most impactful and growing industries – including aircraft/aerospace, automotive motorsports and medical/surgical – are featured at the event.
The 2012 WESTEC event had more than 14,000 registered attendees and more than 500 exhibiting companies.
Los Angeles County is home to more than 380,000 people that are involved in the manufacturing industry. The region remains a leading manufacturing center in the U.S. The country also remains the world’s largest manufacturing economy, producing more than 20 percent of global manufactured products.
“We are at a very important time in manufacturing,” said Longroy. “The continued growth of the industry and the advancements that are happening at a quick rate, make events like WESTEC more important than ever.”
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About WESTEC
WESTEC, the region’s definitive manufacturing event, returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center Fall 2013. The three-day event gives exhibitors and attendees the chance to network, form relationships and build partnerships. WESTEC brings together the people, technology and innovation that are redefining manufacturing to address the ground-breaking products that are changing global markets.
For more information, visit www.westeconline.com.
About the Society of Manufacturing Engineers
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its many programs, events, magazines, publications and online training division, Tooling U, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other, to the latest technologies and to the most up-to-date manufacturing processes. SME has members around the world and is supported by a network of chapters and technical communities. A 501(c)3 organization, SME is a leader in manufacturing workforce development issues, working with industry, academic and government partners to support the current and future skilled workforce.
For more information, visit www.sme.org.
