Subtractive machining and additive manufacturing now combined in one building.
McLean, Va. (April 1, 2025) — With more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space already booked for the 2026 show, IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show is poised once again to be the strongest manufacturing marketplace in the Western Hemisphere. IMTS 2026 returns to McCormick Place in Chicago on Sept. 14-19. Currently, 85% of the booth space capacity is filled, and several exhibitors have secured larger footprints on the show floor. IMTS also unveiled a new logo, tagline, and IMTS+ website, sparking excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead.
IMTS 2026 will feature a new floor plan layout, where the South Building will host the Metal Removal Sector and the Additive Manufacturing Sector, accelerated by Formnext.
“IMTS provides manufacturers with the opportunity to explore technologies and ideas to solve production challenges, so combining additive and subtractive technologies showcases the best of both technology platforms,” says Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS. “Featuring subtractive machining, additive manufacturing, and hybrid solutions together will inspire visitors to find new ways to grow their markets, boost capacity, and lower costs.”
"Automation is key to manufacturing growth, and there’s no place more valuable than IMTS to demonstrate its critical role,” says Mike Cicco, CEO of FANUC America and AMT’s chairman. “I’m happy to share that FANUC will move to the front row in the South Building at IMTS 2026, where, as longtime exhibitors, we're able to showcase our innovative robotics and factory automation technologies to IMTS visitors.”
The Tooling & Workholding Sector will be the focus in the West Building. Companies such as Kennametal will occupy a larger exhibit space. The Smartforce Student Summit, powered by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and SME, which welcomed nearly 15,000 students and educators in 2024, is moving back to Level 1 of the North Building. This move accommodates the expanding Software, Quality Assurance, Fabricating & Lasers, and Machine Components / Cleaning / Environmental sectors in the East Building.
The largest manufacturing technology show in the Western Hemisphere, IMTS 2024 showcased 1,226,523 square feet of manufacturing technology, featured 1,737 exhibitors, and attracted 89,020 registrants from more than 110 countries.
Expanding Automation and Intelligence
Level 3 of the North Building will again feature the Abrasive Machining / Sawing / Finishing Sector, Gear Generation Sector, and Automation Sector, accelerated by SPS – Smart Production Solutions, which debuted at IMTS 2024.
“You can’t sell a spindle anymore if you don't automate it, and that’s why we saw such an automation presence at IMTS 2024,” says Robby Komljenovic, a manufacturing industry executive who has been coming to IMTS since 1994. “In fact, there are now more robots than CNCs at IMTS, and that trend will grow. There is a shortage of workers, as well as the need to boost productivity. Our automation solutions fill that need to load and unload parts, perform repetitive operations, enhance safety, increase throughput, and free skilled people to perform value-added tasks.” The Automation Sector also highlights intelligent solutions, including AI and cloud-based innovations from companies such as Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services.
“IMTS has been organically growing as a digital technology destination,” says Michelle Edmonson, vice president – exhibitions, AMT. “Our theme for IMTS 2026 is ‘Achieve the Impossible,’ and manufacturers will accomplish that goal using technologies such as AI, cloud-based services, automation, software, additive manufacturing, and advanced machining.”
A Solutions Approach
Moving additive manufacturing (AM) to the South Building will help accelerate the adoption of a technology that strengthens U.S. manufacturing capabilities, reshoring, and boosts supply chain security. The move also makes sense from an end-user perspective, as delivering a finished AM part often requires subtractive operations to machine features, tap threads, create smooth surfaces, and cut parts from build plates, as well as automated part and pallet handling systems for unattended operation.
“AM adoption continues to become more integral in manufacturing organizations, and this is reflected with the AM Sector moving to the South Building at IMTS,” says Patrick Boyd, marketing director at EOS, an IMTS exhibitor and leading global provider of AM technologies. “Rather than viewing AM as a competing or replacement process, more manufacturers now understand that AM is a complementary technology to deliver new solutions, fill production gaps, find new efficiencies, and allow for faster innovation. AM wholly strengthens manufacturing, and the move to the South Building validates this.”
Just as IMTS evolves alongside industry advancements, the IMTS+ website has been redesigned to highlight the manufacturing technology community 24/7. As the always-on extension of the show, IMTS+ now features four dedicated technology hubs: Metalworking, Digital Manufacturing, Automation, and Additive Manufacturing. Each hub showcases the people, products, and processes that drive innovation and fuel business growth.
New Logo and Tagline
The new IMTS logo represents the industry’s strength, innovation, and enduring impact. The gold outline framing the cube and starburst symbolizes the strong connections among manufacturers worldwide and the prosperity these partnerships facilitate.
The new IMTS 2026 tagline: “Achieve the Impossible.”
IMTS Chicago Impact
According to Choose Chicago, the city’s official marketing destination organization, IMTS 2024 had a direct economic impact of $123,144,701 on business sales and supported 22,910 jobs; indirectly, the show added another $81,483,573 in business sales and supported 7,543 jobs.
“Trade shows create a multibillion-dollar boom for the city of Chicago, and IMTS delivers the biggest benefits of them all,” says Dustin Arnheim, senior vice president, Client Services at Choose Chicago. “The impact of IMTS occurs over four or five weeks because the logistics of moving more than 40 million pounds of equipment are so complex for the setup and teardown crews. Further, the show itself and the booths all feature world-class designs, so thousands of support staff teams come to Chicago weeks in advance of the show, filling hotel rooms and restaurants.”
A limited amount of exhibit space remains for IMTS 2026. Visit IMTS.com/exhibitor to learn more.
Reflecting the prominence of automation as a technology essential for manufacturing growth, FANUC has moved to the front row of the South Building of McCormick Place for IMTS 2026.
IMTS Photos and Logos
About IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show
IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show is where the creators, builders, sellers, and drivers of manufacturing technology come to connect and achieve the impossible. Attendees discover advanced manufacturing solutions that include innovations in CNC machining, automation, robotics, additive, software, AI, and transformative digital technologies that are driving the industry forward. Owned and produced by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, IMTS is the largest and most defining trade event for manufacturing technology in the Western Hemisphere. IMTS 2026 will be held Sept.14-19, 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Discover more at IMTS.com and connect with IMTS on social.
About AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology
AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology represents U.S.-based providers of manufacturing technology – the advanced machinery, devices, and digital equipment that U.S. manufacturing relies on to be productive, innovative, and competitive. Located in McLean, Virginia, near the nation’s capital, AMT acts as the industry’s voice to accelerate the pace of innovation, increase global competitiveness, and develop manufacturing’s advanced workforce of tomorrow. With extensive expertise in industry data and market intelligence, as well as a full complement of international business operations, AMT offers its members an unparalleled level of support. AMT also produces IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, the premier manufacturing technology event in the Western Hemisphere. Learn more at AMTonline.org.
