There’s already been a great reaction to the new two-day format, added features, and bustling atmosphere generated at Ceramics Expo #5. Everyone came away from Cleveland energized, involved, and ready once again to push on and take ceramics to the next level. “We come to Ceramics Expo because it’s a great venue and it’s where the heart of the ceramic industry beats,” said Seyit Ural, business development manager at Harris Corp.
The expo has benefited greatly from a reputation established over a number of years and a loyal exhibitor group that welcomes new entrants every year. “We actually walked the show last year and saw that it could be very beneficial for us,” commented Chris Paris from FEI (Thermo Fisher). “Just in the first day, we had a large number of leads…we’ve been able to see current customers as well as new prospects that are highly qualified for our applications, so it’s a great fit.” Nothing is left to chance and the planning schedule lies at the heart of successful outcomes for all. “The way things are organized is optimal, and then the timeframe and the location…are very attractive. It’s a very productive and really effective show,” added Sam Murthy from Eurofins EAG Materials Science.
Everything got under way with one of this year’s innovations – the pre-show VIP reception and networking event held on the evening before the trade show opened its doors. Hundreds keenly attended this special gathering, and the added value was immediately evident. “The VIP program was very nice,” said Kevin Ring from Rogers Corp. “I definitely interacted with way more people than I would have had that not happened.”
Once the expo was in motion, it was clear from the busy aisles early on the first day that this was going to be one of the industry highlights of the year. Not only was there a more impressive spread of exhibits than ever before, but everything scheduled for the visitors delivered. This included the Innovation Trail, a specially designed pathway across the show floor, highlighting companies at the forefront of R&D and those developing cutting-edge materials, technologies, and solutions for a range of ceramic applications. “It has been fantastic – we have seen a lot of traffic…we had some cool interactive demos at our booth and we have seen great interest from attendees,” commented Zubair Nawaz, application development specialist at 3M.
The twin-track conference was very well attended throughout. Here, the line-up of expert voices covered cutting-edge applications in ceramics and glass, materials and supply chain issues, technical and developmental advances, contributions to thermal management, energy and electrification, and the growing role of additive manufacturing, as well as presenting eagerly awaited sessions on sector-specific uses for advanced ceramics. “It’s the place to be when you are dealing with technical ceramics and additive manufacturing in ceramics,” remarked Haim Levi, VP, XJET.
It’s no empty boast to say that Ceramics Expo 2019 hit all the right notes. Highly satisfied participants made the point emphatically: “It’s been really great…we’ve been doing this since it opened, and it’s gotten better every year,” said Kyocera’s John Mastrogiacomo. “We’re one of the global leaders in ceramics and we mainly come to network and to meet new customers and [discover] new development products.” McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies found its participation equally rewarding: “The experience has been very strong,” said CEO Mike Ingram. “From day one we’ve had steady traffic…every year we look forward to coming to this show because of the foot traffic. It hasn’t disappointed us this year.”
Ceramics Expo year after year offers distinct value, creating an environment where suppliers and buyers can come together to interact and get a real feel for products in person. Christina Rettig, head of innovation and technology communication at SCHOTT, said: “One of the major challenges is that we have a material and we know what that material can do. We don’t exactly know which applications the customer is looking for. Or we have a customer who has a special challenge and might not know that glass ceramics is the material that can solve that challenge. So, finding out what challenges the customers have and bringing them together with our material – that’s the main thing.”
Ceramics Expo will return in 2020 to the I-X Center, Cleveland, Ohio from Tuesday, May 5 to Wednesday, May 6, 2020.