ZEELAND, Mich., Feb. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Organizers of the Advanced Manufacturing Expo (AME) say this year's event scheduled in Novi, August 20th (AME-East) and Grand Rapids, August 22nd (AME-West) will be the largest ever for both venues in 2019. Thanks to strong response by attendees and exhibitors the AME has quickly become a very affordable way to discuss the latest technological solutions with clients and vendors alike, without leaving the state of Michigan.

AME-East is scheduled to take place August 20th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, and AME-West is scheduled to take place August 22nd from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DeltaPlex Arena & Conference Center in Grand Rapids, with additional days for exhibitor setup, private reception at both venues, as well as a golf outing Friday August 23rd benefiting First Robotics of Michigan.

Both the AME-East and AME-West shows are open to the public with FREE admission and FREE parking.

The Advanced Manufacturing Expo inaugural year was 2015 which utilized roughly 11,000 sq/ft and hosted 70 exhibitors. The founders of the expo and sponsor of the Automation Hall, Industrial Control, wanted to bridge the gap between the east side of Michigan and the west side of Michigan with a truly one of kind opportunity for Leadership, Networking, Resources and Technology within the manufacturing sector. Now heading into the fifth year, this vision has come to fruition as the AME 2019 will host nearly 300 exhibitors and utilize 123,000 sq/ft (combined venues) of floor space.

"The underlying value of Advanced Manufacturing Expo goes well beyond square footage and attendance figures," Ermatinger said. He added. "Visitors and vendors say they really appreciate the personal networking opportunities – that's held true since the first AME we held in Hudsonville, MI five years ago. Executives, engineers and quality personnel have told us how valuable it is to talk face-to-face with experts in their fields to learn how they can improve the bottom lines for their companies."

The AME (East and West) was organized with convenience in mind for visitors and exhibitors alike, Ermatinger said. Exhibitors traveling from the Midwest have said that the shows are convenient and affordable since they only run one day each, instead of week-long trade shows. The Suburban Collection Showplace and DeltaPlex are close to major interstate highways for easy access and both have convenient on-site parking. In addition to the convenient locations, the AME has also arranged for all shipping logistics of exhibitor's materials to further streamline the needs of the exhibitors.

Ermatinger said he expects attendance at the two-city event to exceed last year's record turnout of visitors, as the square footage and number of exhibitors has grown for 2019. The AME-West expo has expanded this year and will take over the entire DeltaPlex Arena and Conference Center. Cumulatively speaking the AME 2019 will utilize nearly 130,000 sg/ft, host approximately 300 exhibitors and accommodate between 1500-2000 attendees. In short, the AME has grown 21% year-over-year! How do we continue to have such growth? In large part by partnering with local leaders in the manufacturing sector.

In 2017, Creston Industrial Sales joined the AME as the sponsor of the Metal Working Hall. The addition of Creston Industrial Sales proved to be a fantastic addition to the AME and one that will continue for some time. The Metal Working Hall is a concentration of companies offering new advancements in cutting tools, coatings, work and tool holding, as well as metal working fluids and inventory management solutions. Last year, Creston Industrial Sales Sales featured new technologies in the metalworking industry and hosted free seminars with experts from the field. Having Creston Industrial Sales as a partner has been a major factor in the expo's success.

In 2018 new exhibition partner Motion Industries Inc. joined the AME as our Mechanical Hall sponsor. Motion Industries allowed for attendees to be exposed to new developments in maintenance and repair of electrical and industrial automation, hydraulic and pneumatic components, safety items, material handling equipment and other industrial products.

The growth of the AME is also due to the market demand/need for such a show and with increased demand comes new additions! This year the AME will be adding a new Process and Instrumentation Hall for 2019. Process and Instrumentation is the well-defined branch of engineering with variables within a production or manufacturing area. The process variables used in industries are Level, Pressure, Temperature, Humidity, Flow, pH, Force, Speed, Viscosity etc. In short Process and Instrumentation deals with measurement, automation and the control processes. Affording exhibitors and attendees alike the opportunity to speak with experts in this field is invaluable and a much-needed addition to help round-out the AME.

In addition to the Process and Instrumentation Hall we have also added a Future Technologies area where visitors will get to see the future, today! This area of the expo will be dedicated to paradigm shifting and disruptive technologies such as exosuits and autonomous vehicles. The future will literally be at the 2019 AME.

The AME-West will also host the fourth annual golf fundraiser benefiting FIRST Robotics of Michigan at The Meadows of Grand Valley State University from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 24. Last year's event raised more than $2,000 for the FIRST Robotics program and for 2019 we hope to double the monies raised to $4000. We are also in the preliminary stages of creating a special event for AME-East which would incorporate First Robotics of Michigan. More details to come.

For more information on the show, interested individuals can access the website at http://www.AdvancedManufacturingExpo.com or contact the AME's Marketing Manager Joe Teague at joe.teague(at)industrialcontrol.com and (616) 299-7610.

SOURCE Advanced Manufacturing Expo