Breaking News: IMTS 2020 Canceled

Doug Woods, president of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, posted this video message announcing “We will be canceling IMTS 2020.” The following letter from AMT vice president and chief exhibitions officer Peter Eelman now appears on IMTS.com:

The AMT Board of Directors and AMT staff have been closely monitoring the impact COVID-19 has had on its members, IMTS exhibitors and visitors, and the industry. We sincerely hope that you, your family and your business remain healthy and safe.

As you may know, we have spent the past several weeks trying to get clarity from Illinois Governor, J. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, regarding the exact requirements for trade shows to take place in Chicago. In early May, Governor Pritzker introduced a five-phased plan to reopen Illinois businesses. As it reads, the plan specifically states that conventions are included in phase 5 of the plan. The conditions that must be met for the implementation of phase 5 feature either the availability of a vaccine for the COVID 19 virus or a highly effective treatment protocol, neither of which are expected to occur in the coming months.

In light of these difficult and challenging circumstances, IMTS - The International Manufacturing Technology Show, scheduled for September 14-19, 2020 had to be cancelled. While this saddens us, the health and safety of our exhibitors and audience remains our top priority.

We know a live in-person IMTS show can never be replaced with a virtual event. We do, however, realize and understand that even though there is no physical event in 2020, it is our responsibility to provide the IMTS exhibitors and visitors with connections, networking opportunities and technical knowledge. We do not take this responsibility lightly and, to that end, we will launch two programs that will accomplish these goals.

IMTS Network: We will host the IMTS Network, live-streaming a wide variety of features and human stories from the Manufacturing Technology sector. More information about the IMTS Network will be provided very soon.

NEW - IMTS Spark: IMTS Spark, a comprehensive digital platform that connects IMTS exhibitors and visitors, provides educational and networking opportunities and offers first rate experiences, will launch in the near future.

If you have registered for IMTS 2020, you have the choice to receive a refund on your registration fees or transfer these fees to a tax-deductible donation to Miles For Manufacturing – where every dollar is given to programs that prepare students for careers in manufacturing technology. You will be receiving a survey in the next few days to acknowledge your decision.

On behalf of the AMT Board of Directors, the IMTS Show Committee, the AMT Staff and specifically my team, we would like to thank you for your patience, loyalty and partnership as we move through these unprecedented and challenging times. We truly appreciate you. — Peter R Eelman, Vice President & CXO