IME West, the nation's leading advanced design and manufacturing event that brings together trade event and conference brands MD&M West, WestPack, ATX West, D&M West, Plastec West, the Design. Engineer. Build. Conference, and the Cannabis Packaging Conference, is gearing up for a robust in-person return to the Anaheim Convention Center next week (April 12-14) to connect thousands of advanced design and manufacturing communities across multiple verticals for three days of networking, education, meetings, and new product discovery.

Distinguished keynote speakers, a new program for the 2022 edition, are confirmed to headline the first and second day of the event, featuring an expert-led presentation and a panel discussion led by senior executives from Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, DeviceAlliance, CESMII, MESA International, MxD, America Makes, and Sonedo.

"Education and peer-to-peer connection are paramount right now, especially given the acute nature of the manufacturing industry's challenges," said Adrienne Zepeda, Group Event Director, IME West. “The first issue that impacts our community daily, which we would be remiss not to explore, is supply chain disruption. The pandemic has drastically impacted how we conduct business and is setting the stage for a new era for the manufacturing industry. Secondly, issues surrounding workforce vacancies resulting from generational trends are sparking innovation and wider investment in automation. With so much progress on the horizon, education and forward-looking insight are more important than ever. We are so excited to open day one and day two with timely keynote addresses to initiate much-needed conversation and open the door to long-term solutions."   

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Jeff Brown, VP of Operations at Sonedo and keynote panelist, added: "Our current supply chain crisis will be fixed in the short term by the demand side, not the supply side of the supply chain. The supply side will provide the short- and long-term solutions that will help the industry better weather these storms in the future, but we need to rally as an industry to do so. I'm eager to reconnect with my fellow panelists at IME West and discuss the challenge on everyone's mind: supply chain disruption."

Keynote presentations are located in the Level 3 Ballroom of the Convention Center; appropriate signage will be readily available to guide guests to each day’s opening remarks. Following Tuesday’s keynote address, Jay Douglass will be available at 11:00 am at Center Stage to dive deeper into his presentation and engage in Q&A with event participants. 

Tuesday, April 12, from 8:00 am – 9:00 am.

Keynote Networking Breakfast

Start your experience at IME West with your daily dose of inspiration and connection by attending our Keynote and Networking Breakfast located in the Third Level Ballroom. Kicking off at 8:00 am, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers can meet over coffee and breakfast bites before our Keynote Speaker shares their latest insights on trending challenges in the industry.

Tuesday, April 12 at 9:00 am.

Using Technology to Fill Manufacturing Workforce Gaps

Presented by Jay Douglass, COO, ARM

As evidenced by the pandemic, manufacturing is critical to the economy of the United States and the well-being of its citizens. But U.S manufacturers are struggling to fill hundreds of thousands of open positions, some of which are working directly with robots. The ARM Institute, a 330+ member non-profit consortium that catalyzes innovations in robotic technology and workforce development to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, has been working to advance the state of robotics to meet this workforce gap and provide educational opportunities to train or upskill factory employees. With investments in over 100 projects to date, ARM Institute COO Jay Douglass will share highlights of these projects' impact and how manufacturers are using technology and innovative training programs to meet today’s challenges.

Following the keynote, join Jay Douglass for an exclusive opportunity to tune in as he delves deeper into manufacturing workforce gaps and engages in a Q&A with the audience.

Panel: Wednesday, April 13 at 9:00 am.

Can Manufacturers Rebuild the Broken Global Supply Chain?
Panelists include:

The severe supply chain shocks have created material scarcity and increased lead time pressures for downstream suppliers. Raw material providers in plastics and metals, microchips, and electronics are at a particular disadvantage. These supply chain challenges have renewed calls for the global manufacturing sector to rebuild and re-shore capacity, invest in new technologies, and confront an existential labor shortage. Join a panel of industry-leading voices in manufacturing who will discuss how they are approaching supply chain challenges and how their organizations view their role in the global manufacturing economy. They’ll also talk about initiatives taken by leading companies, NGOs, and governments worldwide—and what it means for your company. Topics include:

Balancing talent, technology, and culture for a winning team and a profitable process

The nuances of reshoring and nearshoring your assets and potential impacts to your bottom line

Both keynote addresses are free for registered guests and will take place on the third level of the Anaheim Convention Center in the Ballroom – participants are encouraged to engage with the speakers following the presentation and panel during the dedicated Q&A.

Select education presented live at the event and exclusive content only available on-demand will be accessible to registered participants on the Smart Event platform. Once registered, log into the Swapcard platform to discover hours of forward-looking and technical educational content.

To tune into the 2022 keynote presentations, secure an attendee pass here.

Follow IME West on social and join the conversation. #IMEWest #DiscoverEngineerBuild

About Informa Markets – Engineering:

Informa Markets' Engineering portfolio is the leading B2B event producer, publisher, and digital media business for the world's $3-trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry. Our print and electronic products deliver trusted information to the engineering market and leverage our proprietary 1.3-million-name database to connect suppliers with buyers and purchase influencers. We produce more than 50 events and conferences in a dozen countries, connecting manufacturing professionals from around the globe. The Engineering portfolio is organized by Informa, the world's leading exhibitions organizer that brings a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

About Informa Markets

Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Engineering, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organizer, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.