When the Arizona Technology Council’s Arizona Manufacturing Catalyst Committee was looking for a way to bring the state’s manufacturers together, little did they realize the results would be more than memorable.
“The committee was formed with the express purpose of creating a center of mass for the diverse manufacturing ecosystem to come together, define common goals and create a stronger community,” says Eric Miller, committee co-chair and co-owner and principal of PADT.
Co-chair Tracey Latham, CEO of Latham Industries, adds, “We believed it was essential to create an environment where manufacturers could meet, understand who is here and see the breadth of expertise that already exists across the ecosystem.”
To say the resulting Arizona Manufacturing Showcase held with presenting sponsor Air2O at Grand Canyon University was a success would be an understatement. The afternoon filled with networking and exhibits was a sell-out.
“The No. 1 comment from attendees was that they and everyone they know in the manufacturing ecosystem were hungry for a local manufacturing tradeshow-type event,” Miller says.
“The soldout response made it clear just how much demand there is for that kind of engagement,” Latham says. “The enthusiasm we saw throughout the event reinforced that creating visibility and strengthening instate relationships isn’t just valuable. It’s essential to the future of Arizona’s manufacturing ecosystem.”
What do they do for an encore? With a target of holding next year’s event again mid-May, Miller says the plan is to double the size by finding a venue that can handle about 500 attendees and up to 100 exhibitors.
