SHOW NEWS: IFFI Features Robots & Sensors In Addition to Fastener Machinery

John L. Wolz

Fastener manufacturing machinery is the focus of the Industrial Fastener & Forming International Exhibition & Conference, but co-located shows allow attendees to see robots and sensors too.\
A manufacturing show is different from the traditional distribution shows where many exhibition companies take just one 100 sq ft booth and a 400 sq ft booth can dominate. At IFFI two exhibitors, Wafios of Germany and National Machinery of Tiffin, OH, have each booked 3,500 sq ft booths. Another eight exhibitors took spaces ranging from 1,500 sq ft to 2,500 sq ft.
One exhibitor is transporting a 12.5 ton machine to the show.
Michael James of Cold Header Machine / McCallum Die will bring three machines to IFFI, including a miniature heading and rolling, high speed 316, and secondary operations shaving equipment.
He doesn�t want to take any of them back.
Unlike many trade shows where the goal is to meet potential customers, at IFFI many exhibitors want to sell the equipment on the show floor rather than pay to ship heavy machinery back to the headquarters.
IFFI, sponsored by the Industrial Fasteners Institute and the International Fastener Machinery Association, will be June 2-5, 2003, at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, near Chicago�s O�Hare International Airport. Conferences sponsored by Fastener Technology International magazine begin Monday and run through Thursday (see FIN, March 11, 2003).
The show promoters estimate that manufacturers producing a total of 200 billion fasteners and precision formed parts annually will attend the show. They expect attendees from the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India and other countries.
In addition to machinery, IFFI features equipment and services, coatings, plating, heat treating, packaging, gaging, adhesives, lubricants, bar coding, chemicals, parts washing, sorting, tool & dies, inventory storage & handling, taps, testing, employee training, safety and emergency equipment and raw material suppliers.
In order to encourage attendance during the slow economy, show management is providing free admission to the trade show and the fastener badge is valid for the Sensors Expo & Conference and the International Robots & Vision Show.
The two official show hotels�Hyatt Regency O�Hare and Holiday Inn O�Hare�offer rooms from $125 to $190 and can be booked through Meeting Authority Inc. at iffiexpo.com. The hotel group price deadline is noon on May 8.
Rosemont has a variety of hotels nearby and alternatives can be found online at Priceline.com, Hotels.com, Rosemont.ConventionCenterHotelsGuide.com, and other websites.
Exhibitors must order booth furniture, electrical and telephone service by May 9 for advance discounts.
Flights can be booked through the website and should be completed by May 16 for the 14-day advance purchase discount.
The show is owned by the IFI and IFMA and proceeds go to the fastener organizations.
Show, registration, hotel and other information is available online at IFFIexpo.com or by calling show manager Jim Flanagan. Tel: 508 735-5411 Fax 954 697-2679 E-mail: sales@flanagangroup.net�2003 FastenerNews.com