You probably know by now that CAMX 2024 is coming up soon, Sept. 9-12 in San Diego, Calif., U.S. CAMX is North America’s largest conference and a trade show targeted toward the composites manufacturing industry.

It can be difficult sometimes to justify to yourself, and those who hold the purse strings at your place of work, that attending a trade event has value sufficient to offset the time and capital commitment.

If you’re struggling to do that for CAMX, I hereby offer these 10 compelling reasons to attend the show.

1. Real people in person.
   
   There is real value having the composites industry — suppliers, fabricators, OEMS — gather in one place to learn, share ideas, catch up on new technologies, collaborate, network and just plain socialize. This is what trade shows are for and this is what trade shows excel at. I think this alone can and should justify CAMX attendance, but if it’s not enough…
    
2. Conference. CAMX is a trade show and conference. The conference is multi-faceted, offering a variety topics in a variety of environments. Your options include technical papers focused on original research and education sessions focused on case histories. You’ll also find speaker panels and featured sessions that emphasize many of the topics that are shaping the industry today.
   
   You might also check out “Good Day, CAMX,” the morning of Thursday, Sept. 12, which features a panel of leaders of up-and-coming material and technology suppliers. And don’t forget the keynote speaker at the General Session Tuesday morning. Futurist Maurice Conti will discuss AI, immersive reality (AR/VR/XR), advanced robotics and manufacturing, and technology for sustainability. 
   
   Expert tip: The conference offers great opportunities to meet and interact with subject matter experts, and you can’t have too many subject matter experts in your life.

   CAMX Quick Links

   Register  •  Preview exhibitors  •  Conference 

3. Awards. CAMX offers two awards programs — the CAMX Awards and the Awards in Composites Excellence (ACE). The CAMX Awards, given in two categories, will be announced at the General Session on Tuesday morning. The ACE winners, presented in six categories, will be announced Tuesday afternoon on the show floor. 
   
   Expert tip: The award winners tend to soak up a lot of attention, but be sure to visit the exhibit areas for each award program on the show floor. There are always interesting technologies and products among the non-winners. 
    
4. New products/technologies. Every year, CW asks CAMX exhibitors to send us information about the products and technologies they will feature in their booths. We heard from more than 100 exhibitors this year. Looking through these “previews,” it’s clear that there are many new products and technologies being introduced at the show. You can find some of the previews in the August and September issues of CW. All can be found online at CW’s CAMX Forecast microsite. But it’s best if you just go to the show and see for yourself. 
    
5. Education.
   
    If you’re new  — or relatively new — to the composites industry, CAMX offers myriad opportunities to get to know it better. I already mentioned the conference programming, and you can add to that the Composites One Closed Mold Alliance Demo Zone. The Demo Zone is large glass-enclosed space on the show floor (booth AA21) where Composites One and the Closed Mold Alliance demonstrate manufacture of composite parts using a variety of materials, tools and processes, including infusion, resin transfer molding, silicone bag molding and prepreg and autoclave processing. 
   
   Expert tip: The demos attract large crowds and are great for socializing — see the demo schedule at the show for times.
    
6. Meet a CW editor. CW’s entire editorial staff will be at CAMX. We are pretty decent folks who are always happy to talk composites. Stop by CW’s booth (MM19), say hello and take a selfie with us.
    
7. CAMX Show Daily.
   
   CW publishes the CAMX Show Daily, a good old-fashioned daily newspaper that will keep you up to speed on show happenings. You will likely have a Show Daily thrust into your hands as you enter the show. This is a thrilling experience.
    
8. CW, the magazine. If you love the feeling of receiving CW each month via mail or email, it’s even better in person. We’ll have the August and September issues available at our booth. Stop by and pick one up.
    
9. Steps. If, like the rest of the world, you are now counting your steps each day, CAMX offers a great opportunity to stay on target. You should hit 10,000 steps with a full-day, robust tour of the exhibit hall and conference.
    
10. San Diego. I think that’s all I need to say, but if you need more — Southern California is a hotbed of composites manufacturing. Plus, the San Diego Convention Center is right downtown and close to the airport and the beach and golf and great dining options.