Your Guide To The Automate And CLEO Shows
By John Oncea, Editor
Automate 2024 and CLEO 2024 are two major upcoming conferences and exhibitions focused on robotics and automation, and lasers and electro-optics, respectively. Let’s take a look at what you can expect if you attend either of these shows.
The Only Automation Show For All Industries And Applications
World-class exhibitors? Yep.
Next-level learning? Uh-huh.
Immediate takeaways? Sure thing.
Automate is the largest robotics and automation trade show in North America and due to overwhelming demand, is transitioning from a biennial to an annual event starting this year. According to the event’s organizer, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), this year’s event – taking place May 6-9 – will be a historic one, held at Chicago’s renowned McCormick Place and expected to be 25% larger than the previous record in Detroit in 2023.
“Automation now touches every aspect of our lives, and its prevalence was evident at Automate 2023 in May — our largest show to date,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3. “From C-level executives at manufacturing companies to healthcare and foodservice professionals to e-commerce and logistics companies—everyone is looking to leverage cutting-edge robotics, vision, AI, and related automation technologies to stay competitive, bolster their bottom line, and even attract and retain talent.”
Key highlights of Automate 2024 include:
- Over 750 exhibits showcasing the latest in robotics, machine vision, AI, motion control, and automation technologies across various industries.
- A paid conference program with over 150 talks by top industry experts.
- Professional certification opportunities.
- Education and networking opportunities to connect with industry leaders and discover automation solutions.
Professionals across all industries are likely to observe that their industry-specific exhibitions are becoming more technology-driven, with an increasing number of AI, robotics, and general automation being showcased. However, the Automate exhibition stands out as the only show that provides attendees with a first-hand experience of the most innovative solutions for every application and industry. This unique benefit is unmatched by any other exhibition.
“Technology is changing and proliferating at such a rapid pace that it’s impossible to stay on the leading edge when you’re looking only through the lens of a single segment or application,” said Burnstein. “That’s why attendees love Automate — they not only see the absolute latest innovations, but they also get a 30,000-foot view of how things are evolving across the board.”
Automate is free to attend. All you need to do is register for a show badge to get access to over 365,000 square feet of industrial automation solutions and technology, keynote speakers, and educational sessions.
Automate will have more than 200 speakers taking the Automate Theater stage, as well as keynote sessions with:
- Billy Beane, Former Executive Vice President of the Oakland Athletics
- Daniela Rus, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
- Del Costy, President and Managing Director, Siemens Digital Industries
- Wendy Tan White, CEO of Intrinsic, an Alphabet company
Annual events such as the Automate Startup Challenge and networking events are still on the schedule, but this year new experiences are being added starting with the Automate Innovation Awards which spotlight recent breakthroughs in automation.
Also new is the Empowerment Forum: Women Leading Change, which celebrates the achievements and potential of women in the automation industry. The free event comes with a keynote panel, breakfast, and networking.
Laser Science To Photonic Applications
At the same time – 750 miles southeast to the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. – Optica will be putting on CLEO (Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics), the world’s premier international forum to learn about innovative advances, research, and new technologies from the laser science industry.
With comprehensive, peer-reviewed technical sessions and market-focused programming, CLEO brings together all aspects of electro-optic technologies from quantum computing to advanced imaging technologies used to search for new life and planets in the galaxy.
CLEO’s world-renowned technical program showcases leading research and applications in many fields. Industry-leading speakers from around the world discuss new scientific ideas and research while exhibiting companies display the latest innovations in photonics technology.
CLEO brings together all aspects of laser technology, from basic research to industry applications. The 2024 CLEO conference will feature:
- Over 2,000 technical sessions organized into 29 topic categories, covering breakthrough ideas and real-world applications of photonics technologies.
- Invited talks by leaders highlighting important advances in applying photonics to solve current problems.
- Interactive workshops and panel discussions on topics of interest to the CLEO community.
- Educational courses taught by industry experts on various subjects related to lasers and electro-optics.
- Networking events and career development programs.
CLEO has a distinguished history as the leading event on laser science and serves as a premier international forum to learn about innovative advances and new technologies in the laser science industry.