Virginia Berg

A group of eight SDSU students and faculty recently ventured to Chicago’s McCormick Place for the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). An estimated 90,000 attended the show.

The show, which is the largest industrial exposition in North America, ran eight days, from Sept. 8 to Sept. 15.

The exposition occupied three of McCormick Place’s huge multi-floored buildings, a space of nearly 1.1 million square feet – an area equal to the size of nearly twenty-one NFL football fields.

Attendees of this year’s IMTS were able to view, and even test, some of the latest technology in the manufacturing engineering field.

They also were offered unmatched comparison shopping of the technology.

According to Teresa Hall, head of the SDSU engineering department, the group from SDSU just went window-shopping.

“It is always really exciting to see the new technology,” said Hall about her third trip to the show. “There is always different technology associated with manufacturing, and at the show you get to see what is new in technology in the manufacturing field a couple of years before it appears on the job and in the market.”

During the two days that the group was at the show, they were able to venture around McCormick Place’s several large pavilions and visit the exhibits, some of which were of large international companies.

They were also able to talk to the engineers from the exhibits.

“It gives you an edge and awareness that is good for future employers to see,” said Katrina Wents, a manufacturing engineer major, and first-time visitor to the show.

Not only did the attendees benefit by being exposed to the latest technology in their field, but, as Hall said, “It’s a good networking opportunity.”

Students also got to do some job hunting, and a little bit of PR for the college.

“Our name tags said that we were from South Dakota,” Hall said, “So, people would ask us about it.”

The International Manufacturing Technology Show is held every even-numbered year in Chicago.

For more information on IMTS, or for information and news on the latest in manufacturing engineering, go to www.IMTS.com.

#1.885942:28681001.jpg:engineeringstudents.jpg:(L to R) Trent Stadheim, Tyler Schroeder, Austen Steward, Katrina Lentz and Teresa Hall, head of the engineering department, all attended the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago.: