A Brand New IMTS Experience

There was a time when early September meant many of us would board a plane for Chicago and IMTS, excited about the upcoming week of activities. Instead, we’re in the process of unveiling a new set of tools designed to capture the latest CNC machining technologies in a virtual environment that can be experienced by “attendees” all over the world.

Our marketing team has worked around the clock on Okuma’s online IMTS experience, and it’s been a time crunch (to say the least!) to make it all happen. But there’s also a sense of exhilaration, because we’re creating unprecedented resources that never existed before. Marketing has never been more essential as we all innovate at 200 mph. I observe our team’s work with a strong sense of gratitude and respect.

A Brand New IMTS Experience

So what will IMTS 2020 look like? It’s all brand new, and there are lots of moving parts, so I thought I’d provide a run-through in this article. The first thing to realize is that these resources will be available to you for much longer than just a week in Chicago. In addition, this year you don’t have to absorb the extra time and costs for travel or the walking miles to see all the things you want to see. So we can already see this has the potential to become in some ways bigger and more efficient than the typical IMTS we’ve been accustomed to. Will it be the same as in-person events? Of course not, and I too will greatly miss seeing everyone in person. But I think we may be surprised at how good this year’s show can truly be.

As I mentioned, there will be a LOT going on, so here’s your scorecard for handy reference:

IMTS Spark (A Platform)

IMTS Spark is the online platform that will function as a home base where each IMTS exhibitor sets up a dedicated showroom to house their news, videos, demos and educational resources. The showrooms can be continuously updated, and this area will remain open now through March 15, 2021. The focus of Spark is to provide a destination where visitors can find the latest innovations and solutions to their manufacturing challenges. You’ll need to be registered as an attendee to access this marketplace on Spark, but registration is free, and it only takes a couple minutes to set up your account.

Spark Events

The first major event is the traditional IMTS week (September 14 – 18). Each day will provide 4 hours of new content in addition to all the Exhibitor sites. Then, following IMTS week, there will be new events on Spark continuing to take place weekly. Okuma’s events will cover timely and relevant topics of interest to show attendees, such as 5-axis machining, connectivity and conversational programming. Events will remain accessible after the live presentation, so you can go back and visit the videos to learn about these topics at your convenience. I think it will make good sense for people to bookmark the showrooms and then go back and check out more content as their schedule permits.

Our showroom on Spark will provide visitors and understanding of who Okuma is, a gallery of things we do or have done, and the ability to connect with Okuma for more insights.

CUSTOM OKUMA BOOTH

When you visit Okuma’s showroom on Spark you’ll see a link that will take you to Okuma’s custom booth (shown in the photo above). This is definitely worth a visit! It functions exactly like you’re walking through the Okuma booth (you’ll recognize the design from previous shows) and you can pick and choose what you’d like to investigate in-depth. The booth is decorated with customized signage that reflects this year’s themes, just as we would have done if we were outfitting our booth at McCormick Place in Chicago. Our IMTS booth will also have functionality for one-on-one interactions, such as chatting with an Okuma expert, requesting brochures, or discussing other detailed machine tool information. Many of the Okuma people you’ve come to know and have seen at events over the years will be stationed here, so you can connect with them “up close and personal” (in a digital way, of course). I’m very proud of how this all turned out and can’t wait for you to see it.

IMTS NETWORK (AN EVENT ON SPARK)

The format for the IMTS Network is similar to what we see in those iconic morning TV news shows, with a live four-hour broadcast at the heart of the program and various pre-recorded segments interspersed throughout. The focus of Network is to portray human stories in the manufacturing industry. There are several on-demand series shows available as well, such as “Outside the Shop” which explores manufacturing technology used in new and unconventional ways. “Profiles in Manufacturing” provides in-depth conversations with the many faces of the manufacturing industry, and “Manufacturing Explorers” travels the Midwest, visiting real-world shops and telling their stories. These examples represent just 3 series out of a total of 15, so you can find something for everyone on IMTS Network. For more details listen to our podcast below.

INDUSTRY LEADER VIDEOS

During IMTS week, the home page of Spark will contain a four-hour video reel from IMTS Network that will run continuously and will be updated each day. Various industry leaders will be featured in these videos, including Jim King, President and COO of Okuma America, who will appear all five days of the show.

EMBRACING THE POSSIBILITIES

This year’s IMTS will be a fascinating experience for all of us, and a proving ground for the path forward in our industry. Here at Okuma we’re working hard to make the most of the new realities in today’s marketplace, and we’re embracing the possibilities. We look forward to seeing you at IMTS 2020 and welcome your feedback.

About Tim Thiessen
Tim Thiessen is Vice President Sales and Marketing, Okuma America Corporation. Connect with Tim on LinkedIn.