AI. Employee retention. Generational differences in the workplace.
Insight Publications Events Manager Amanda Beuscher says a yearly survey of Manufacturing First attendees helps inform decision-making for future expos and takes the pulse on hot conference topics. And while there is never a shortage of pressing manufacturing issues in Northeast Wisconsin, those three rose to the top of the pile as planning commenced for the 16th annual event, which is coming up Oct. 28 at Resch Expo in Green Bay.
Phil Gwoke will tackle topic No. 3 with this year’s planned keynote address, “Leading Across Generations.” Gwoke is CEO of BridgeWorks, which prides itself on helping companies not just understand how generations operate differently in the workplace, but why. Our age doesn’t define us, Gwoke says, nor is it fair to label workers based on their generation.
“[Age is] not what truly makes us unique. What a generational cohort shares in common is the experiences that uniquely shaped them in their formative years,” he says. “You see this with technology or many other unique environmental influences from one generation to the next. Those unique experiences bring unique value.”
A Brewers, Bucks and Packers fan who grew up in Milwaukee, Gwoke now operates his consultancy in the Twin Cities. He says he is excited to be in Green Bay during Manufacturing Month — his first trip back to Titletown since attending a Packers/Eagles game several years ago.
“We’re going to have a great time. We’re going to laugh and enjoy the experiences,” Gwoke says. “When it comes down to our distinction at BridgeWorks, we talk about the strengths of each generation. You’re going to [leave feeling] good about your generational experience.”
Gwoke says he has been working in the generational difference space since 1998, when he as a Gen Xer was working to manage his own generational conflicts with baby boomers. He also spent 20 years working in adolescent development and found himself becoming decreasingly connected as he aged. That is all to say: Generational differences in the workplace is not a new problem.
He says the most surprising part about his work is understanding that generations really do want to work together.
“I think when those clash points show up, the assumption is, well, that, you know, one group is pitted against the other, and there’s this kind of mutual disrespect. And that’s not the case,” Gwoke says. “Often young people, when they’re entering their careers, they’re excited to learn new things, and those seasoned professionals [are] excited for that new energy.”
Energy and passion are critical in Gwoke’s work, he says, particularly as he comes to Manufacturing First.
“What keeps me passionate about this is I love seeing people develop at both ends of the spectrum: emerging professionals entering their career, and experienced professionals learning something new, even with 15, 20, 30 years underneath their belt,” Gwoke says. “If we’re not learning, we’re losing it.”
Gwoke’s keynote presentation, sponsored by R&R Insurance and Werner, will begin at 8 a.m. on the main stage at Resch Expo. The exhibit hall will open at 9:30 a.m., and the first of four breakout session periods will start at 10 a.m.
Increasing the number of breakout sessions offered and organizing them into topic-based tracks is probably the biggest change to this year’s Manufacturing First, says Insight Publisher Angela O’Kray, adding that feedback from NEW Manufacturing Alliance members informed the addition of sessions and that organizing topics into tracks may help companies who send more than one employee to the event “divide and conquer” to maximize learning throughout the day.
This year’s breakout sessions will be offered at 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and will be organized into tracks including “Business Growth and Strategy,” sponsored by Stoke RGA; “Safety, Risk and Compliance,” sponsored by Acuity; “Technology & Innovation,” sponsored by Bank of America; “Talent & Development;” and “People & Culture.”
Jen Fietz, owner of Stoke RGA, says the opportunity to not only facilitate a breakout session but sponsor the growth track is welcome.
“Manufacturing First brings together exactly who we work with every day: manufacturers trying to grow,” Fietz says. “Many have already tried to fix growth the obvious way, whether that’s more sales activity, more headcount, a new CRM or a rebrand. We wanted to put our name behind content that pushes past that.”
Stoke RGA’s session will be a panel discussion entitled “Stalled Growth: Why the Fix Is Never Just Sales.” Attendees interested in growth can choose to attend Stoke RGA’s session as well as sessions from Weidert and Hawkins Ash, for example.
Regardless of track utilization, O’Kray says, a total of 15 breakout sessions should mean there’s something for everyone.
“This is new,” she says. “We’re curious to see how it goes. We’re also trying out the expo hall to [host] breakouts.”
Additional changes to this year’s event will include removing formal programming from the lunch session, which organizers hope will give attendees more time to network, and an extension of the “Power Hour” on the expo floor so that attendees hoping to win prizes will not be forced to rush around the large venue in a short amount of time, dropping their business cards at booths without meaningful interaction.
With another expected record crowd and more expo participation than ever, opportunities to maximize time will certainly be welcome, O’Kray says. As always, Manufacturing First is a massive undertaking — Wisconsin’s largest manufacturing event, in fact — and would not be possible without the partnership of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and presenting sponsorship from First Business Bank.
Travis Froze, Northeast Wisconsin market president at First Business Bank, says his organization has never wavered in its desire to support Manufacturing First, from the earliest days pitching the concept to Insight to its recent extension of presenting sponsorship support at a time when he says the industry is rapidly evolving.
“Manufacturers are navigating new technologies, workforce challenges, supply chain changes and economic uncertainty,” Froze says. “Manufacturing First provides a unique platform for leaders to learn from one another, explore innovative ideas and build relationships that help move Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry forward.”
O’Kray says it’s gratifying to see the ongoing support of sponsors and attendees, because it means people in Northeast Wisconsin still find value in conferences, networking and face-to-face interactions in the age of AI.
“I think meeting people face to face makes a huge difference,” she says. “[Manufacturing First] is the epitome of what we hope we get out of Insight events, like times 10, because there’s so many different ways to engage.”
First-time M1 sponsors in 2026:
American Airlines
Aurora Healthcare
Coulee Tech
Employment Resource Group, Inc.
Haas Factory Outlet
Hawkins Ash
Hurckman Mechanical Industries
MCL Industries
Primary Companies
SECURA Insurance
Spherion Staffing & Recruiting
Twin Pillars Construction
VJS Construction Services
WI Drives Manufacturing
