- Industry leaders will converge on Los Angeles Convention Center to generate opportunities and business solutions for one of the nation’s most influential industries.
May 19, 2015 (LOS ANGELES) ― WESTEC, the premier West Coast manufacturing event, produced by SME, returns to Los Angeles to showcase the leading companies, new technologies, and issues that will impact the industry now and in the future. The event, which will take place September 15-17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, provides companies and individuals with the chance to connect with industry leaders, address challenges, explore solutions, and develop business opportunities.
WESTEC
September 15-17, 2015
Los Angeles Convention Center
Los Angeles, California USA
California is recognized as the nation’s top manufacturing sector, with nearly 39,000 manufacturing businesses and 1.2 million workers. The industry is responsible for the equivalent of nearly 25 percent of California’s overall economic output, according to a 2012 Census Bureau Report. This would rank its economy as the globe’s seventh largest if the state were a nation. This is in the midst of regional challenges that include stringent environmental and workplace regulations, utility rates, tax structure, and other issues.
“We know the power and impact manufacturing has on the regional economy, as well as its overall vitality,” said Janine Saperson, WESTEC event manager at SME. “WESTEC exhibitors and attendees are guiding our industry’s evolution so we can prepare for the future, address the needs of the region, and ensure Southern California remains an industry leader on a national and global scale.”
WESTEC has built a reputation as the West Coast’s leading technological showcase for the manufacturing industry for nearly 50 years. The event provides attendees with networking opportunities, complimentary education sessions, keynotes, and interactive exhibits. Many of the industry’s top equipment manufacturers will unveil new products and technological breakthroughs at WESTEC ― from software to cutting tools, 3D printers to multitasking machines.
The event attracts between 12,000 and 15,000 industry representatives to the South Hall of the LA Convention Center. Many attendees are interested in how the sector and related technology are changing and what they can do to improve their company’s competitiveness in the industry.
“As we see the impacts the West Coast has on manufacturing and the economy, it’s vital that we continue to work together as an industry to find innovations and solutions for growing the sector,” said Jeff Krause, executive director and CEO of SME. “We know the leading companies and stakeholders in California hold the key to increasing opportunities in the region, creating new jobs and attracting manufacturing in a way that ensures we remain a leader for the rest of the country.”
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the manufacturing sector has a large footprint in the U.S. economy. In 2013, it employed 12 million workers, which is equivalent to 8.8 percent of total U.S. employment. A focus of WESTEC is on driving the development and discussion of innovation and technology that will continue to support and grow the industry.
For more information and to register for WESTEC 2015, visit westeconline.com.
About WESTEC
For nearly 50 years, WESTEC, produced by SME, has been the West Coast’s premier manufacturing event, attracting a broad cross-section of industry decision-makers in Southern California. The event brings together thousands of attendees, exhibitors and industry experts to evaluate and compare cutting-edge manufacturing equipment, advanced technologies, new products and applications. The three-day event influences buying decisions and showcases growth industries, such as aerospace, defense, industrial machinery, medical and more. For more information, please visit.westeconline.com
About SME
SME connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years. Through its strategic areas of events, media, membership, training and development, and the SME Education Foundation, SME is uniquely dedicated to the advancement of manufacturing by addressing both knowledge and skills needed for the industry. Follow @SME_MFG on Twitter or facebook.com/SMEmfg.
