More than 1,000 registered attendees were on hand for Manufacturing First, which moved to a new venue for 2022: Green Bay’s Resch Expo.
By Bob Cashman, Image Studios
If you were ever skeptical about the post-pandemic return of large events and conferences, the 2022 Manufacturing First Expo & Conference delivered a persuasive counterargument Oct. 26, as more than 1,000 attendees, exhibitors and students converged upon Green Bay’s sprawling Resch Expo for a jam-packed day of education and networking opportunities.
The new venue proved ideal for accommodating the largest-ever Manufacturing First event, which is now in its 12th year.
“It was wonderful seeing so many leaders and NEWMA members in person at the expo, instead of at virtual meetings,” says Ann Franz, executive director of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance, which partners with Insight Publications and presenting sponsor First Business Bank to stage the conference each year. “The new venue exceeded our expectations and enhanced the event experience.”
Getting personal
An early-morning keynote address by John Sileo woke up the crowd — dumping a proverbial bucket of ice water on attendees with his cautionary tales about cybersecurity. He even hacked an attendee’s iPhone live on stage.
In 2022, IBM moved manufacturing to the top of its list of most cyber-threatened industries, but Sileo said that, in the grand scheme of things, preventing cyberattacks has little to do with one’s business sector.
“All security is personal,” Sileo said. “Security begins with us as individuals, not as organizations. If you don’t connect emotionally to what you have at stake, if you don’t engage your people to care about their own personal information, you will never build an organizational culture of security that can withstand Industry 4.0.”
Sileo explained that 91% of cyberattacks stem from basic human manipulation, or social engineering — things like “phishing,” which attempts to manipulate people into taking actions such as clicking on dangerous web links. Phishing, Sileo explained, “grew up into whaling” — a highly sophisticated, well-researched scheme of business email compromise that can, and has, cost companies hundreds of millions.
Sileo acknowledged that of course IT plays a major role in cybersecurity, but encouraging employees to be skeptical and avoid falling for social engineering schemes is the best way to lower risk.
“Yes, the technology matters but cybersecurity is not just a technological game; it is a human game,” he said.
A day to remember
This year’s conference offered attendees a menu of 12 different breakout sessions throughout the day, including presentations on managing payroll in a tight labor market, attracting and retaining employees, improving organizational health, data security and privacy, the downsides of remote work, sales and marketing, augmented and virtual reality and higher education. George Bureau of WMEP Manufacturing Solutions also unpacked the results of the 2022 Wisconsin Manufacturing Report, which is highlighted in “By the Numbers” on page 24 of this issue.
New for 2022, a duo of lunch-and-learn sessions was offered to all attendees. St. Norbert College’s Steve Jones spoke on “how to grow greatness,” and Wipfli’s Julia Johnson highlighted creative recruitment and retention strategies such as employee referral fees, stay interviews, transparent succession planning and mentoring programs.
The day concluded with prize giveaways and a lively cocktail reception on the exhibit hall floor, which featured a record 277 booths.
The exhibit hall wasn’t just an opportunity for attendees to make business connections, however; it was also the backdrop for more than 300 high school students to meet potential future employers and participate in activities aimed at sparking interest in manufacturing. Seeing the students enjoy the event was a highlight for many attendees — including Franz, whose organization’s mission involves building strong links and initiatives with K-12 students and educators. The annual NEWMA Excellence in Manufacturing/K-12 Partnerships Awards dinner was held the evening prior, also at Resch Expo.
For Franz, Manufacturing First is a great way to conclude National Manufacturing Month each October.
“This is always my favorite event each year,” she says. “It’s bringing together over 1,000 people that are passionate about manufacturing in our region.”
Manufacturing First returns to Resch Expo Oct. 25, 2023 www.manufacturingfirst.com
