Fastener Machinery Exhibition to Be Co-Located with Interwire in 2007

John Wolz

The International Fastener Machinery & Suppliers Association and the Wire Association International trade shows will be co-located for 2007.
The manufacturing-oriented International Fastener Exposition fastener machinery trade show will be held with the Interwire exhibition May 5-10, 2007, at the I-X Center in Cleveland.
It will be a revival of the International Fastener Exposition, which was held every other year in the 1980s until Reed Expositions produced the show during the 1990s. For 2001 the Industrial Fasteners Institute and IFMSA went together to form the International Fastener & Forming Exhibition. IFFI was held on its own in 2001 and 2003. In 2005 IFFI was held alongside the distribution-oriented Mid-West Fastener Expo and as part of Fastener Week in Chicago.
IFMSA executive director Ray Zirkle said the “co-location of these two events marks the return of a similar combination that occurred in the 1980s. From the rod and accessory suppliers to the many equipment manufacturers that service both the wire and fastener markets, there is great value in linking the two events.”
WAI president Brian Bouvier said that co-locating the shows brings “an efficiency to the exhibition experience that mirrors the activity of the industry. For the cost of one registration, attendees will have the opportunity to tour both shows and exhibitors can now focus their resources on the combined event.”
Zirkle told FastenerNews.com that he has already sold the first 30×50 booth for the machinery show.
In addition to the IFE/WAI fastener machinery show in 2007, the National Industrial Fastener Show has announced plans to create a machinery section within its distribution-oriented trade shows. NIFS also tried to have a machinery section at its distribution show in Columbus, OH, in the mid-1990s.
Fastener Week Plans
The IFI, which represents fastener manufacturers and their suppliers, will not be directly involved in the 2007 trade show. IFI managing director Rob Harris explained that some IFMSA members wanted a show in conjunction with WAI, but “we did not feel that was consistent with the Fastener Week concept of co-locating fastener-oriented shows, meetings and technical conferences.”
The Fastener Week concept allows industry-wide participants to save travel time and money “while allowing all elements of the industry to network together on common issues, problems and opportunities.”
The IFI and IFMSA reached a “mutually acceptable agreement and settlement to dissolve our arrangement for the 2007 show” and “all parties will thereafter proceed with packaging what makes the most sense for their constituents for future events.”
“For the IFI that means working with our sister fastener industry manufacturing, distribution and industry supplier associations and companies on future shows, including international participation.”
The IFI retained ownership of the IFFI and Fastener Week names, Harris noted. “We look forward to working within the industry on putting together an event by the industry, for the industry and to the direct benefit of the industry in future years.”
Industry associations have already talked about a revised Fastener Week for 2007 or 2008, but no format has been established.
IFMSA represents 92 companies that sell equipment, supplies and services to the global fastener industry. For information contact IFMSA executive director Ray Zirkle, 107 Mill Plain Rd., Danbury, CT 06811. Tel: 203 794-0444 Fax 203 743-4810 E-mail: rzirkle@bzsales.com
WAI is an individual member-based educational organization with 2,500 members from 65 countries. WAI manages the Interwire Trade Exhibition and the Wire Expo and publishes Wire Journal International & Reference Guide through a subsidiary operation. For Interwire information contact Janice Swindells, WAI marketing director, 1570 Boston Post Rd., Guilford, CT 06437. Tel: 203 453-2777 E-mail: jswindells@wirenet.org
Harris can be contacted at the IFI, 6363 Oak Tree Blvd., Independence, OH 44131. Tel: 216 241-1482 Fax 216 241-5901 E-mail: rharris@indfast.com Web: industrial-fasteners.org �2006 FastenerNews.com