It was a dreary, drizzly autumn day, but Green Bay’s Resch Expo was aglow with excitement during the 13th annual Manufacturing First Expo & Conference Oct. 25.
“Sometimes 13 can be an unlucky number, but not here. It’s been a great event. It’s truly my favorite event of the year,” said Ann Franz, executive director of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance, which partners with Insight Publications and presenting sponsor First Business Bank to host the conference. “It’s so energizing to see how many people in our community want to work with one another.”
In addition to nearly 1,300 event attendees and 280 exhibitors — both record numbers — 300 students from eight different high schools attended to learn about the industry and build career pathways in manufacturing.
“A lot of companies do this event just for that student interaction because they enjoy it so much,” Franz said. “It brings so much fun and energy to the room.”
From ‘new normal’ to ‘never normal’
If this year’s conference had a theme, it would likely have been disruption and adaptation. Bill Fournet, founder and CEO of Oklahoma-based The Persimmon Group, provided a keynote address titled “Lead for Tomorrow: How to Thrive in the Age of Disruption.”
By now, leaders in manufacturing have grown accustomed to the ever-changing industry landscape, but that doesn’t make it easy to navigate. The rate of change is being accelerated by technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and automation, Fournet said.
“It’s more difficult to lead today than ever before because we live in the age of disruption,” said Fournet, who described how society used to operate in 20- to 30-year change cycles, but now that same societal-shifting change can occur in mere hours because of technological connectivity.
Fournet outlined the generational differences of today’s workforce — made up of baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and, now, Gen Z — which was eye-opening for many attendees, Franz said.
To adapt to changing workforce demographics, Fournet encouraged leaders to move away from the traditional “command and control” style of leadership. The next generation responds to leaders who engage and empower teams to take action within clearly-defined boundaries. Embracing a higher-learning mindset is essential for leaders and businesses, he said, that will withstand the challenges brought on by rapid change.
“If we don’t ask questions, we are ripe for disruption,” Fournet said.
Strength in numbers
For the second year, lunch and learn sessions took place during the noon hour. Mo Abuali, a technology expert from Wipfli, spoke on Industry 4.0 and explored how manufacturers can leverage the Industrial Internet of Things and artificial intelligence to drive productivity. Author and confidence coach Ben Fauske of St. Norbert College’s Center for Exceptional Leadership shared strategies for developing authentic confidence and coaching it in others.
In addition to the day’s keynote and lunch and learn speakers, attendees also had the opportunity to choose from 12 breakout sessions led by industry experts covering a wide range of topics such as leadership development, cybersecurity, leveraging AI and talent recruitment.
The day concluded with networking and prize giveaways during the cocktail reception on the expo floor. Franz and IOM Editor Kate Bruns recorded live comments from event attendees for a special episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, a collaborative podcast between NEWMA and Insight that focuses on issues, challenges and opportunities for manufacturers in the region.
Franz said the all-encompassing event offers a rare opportunity for manufacturers to connect with future customers and build relationships with other industry players, which resulted in this year’s record-breaking attendance numbers.
“The reason people come is primarily for the networking. And we are bringing more and more companies to Manufacturing First, so that’s a huge attendance driver,” she said. “It’s really the place to be if you want to get engaged with manufacturing.”
Save the date: Manufacturing First returns to Resch Expo Oct. 30, 2024 manufacturingfirst.com
