FABTECH Canada embraces social media to deliver enhanced experience at new show

“Our studies indicate that the more we can immerse show visitors into the overall experience, the more industry knowledge they will take away from FABTECH Canada,” said Janine Saperson, Event Manager with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), which is hosting the inaugural event together with Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. (FMA) and American Welding Society (AWS). “By incorporating the hottest trends in mobile devices and social media, we’re making it easier than ever for attendees to contribute ideas, provide feedback, receive up-to-date industry education and get the most out of their show floor visit, with the added benefit of keeping our finger on the pulse of our industry at the same time,” she said. In the coming weeks, FABTECH Canada organizers will introduce regular on-line Twitter discussions. These moderated sessions are intended to engage audiences on key topics in the metal forming, fabricating and welding industries. Participation is as easy as signing into Twitter and entering “#fabtechcanada.” The on-line forum is designed to take on a life of its own with topics of discussion determined by participant feedback. Additional social media outlets used by FABTECH Canada to engage industry members include Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Another innovative technology promising to take FABTECH Canada to new heights is the ability for audiences to take advantage of an optimized mobile application which can run on any mobile device, including cell phones and tablet PCs, and provides attendees with easy on-line access to the exhibit guide, conference agenda, and more. This application will allow visitors to personalize their trade show experience, receive alerts about conference start times, take notes during sessions and be notified about last minute show changes. A real-time audience response system also enables immediate feedback and can be used to facilitate on-line polls and surveys. “As Canadian manufacturers continue to gain visibility as a critical engine for innovation, technology and economic growth, it makes good sense to foster that growth using the latest in communications technology,” said Ed Youdell, FMA President and CEO. “Social media, in particular, is a great way to build a sense of community within our industry,” added Ray Shook, AWS Executive Director. “The more we can get people talking about issues of importance, the more innovation we are likely to see.” FABTECH Canada is building on the success of the recent FABTECH event, held in Chicago in November, which exceeded expectations with an attendance of more than 35,000. Canada’s event will feature an extensive exhibition floor, side-by-side machine evaluations, expert-led educational sessions, Canada’s Best Welder Competition and many other networking opportunities. www.fabtechcanada.com