Cleveland, Ohio, and its modern convention center will, for the second consecutive biennial cycle, host the global forging industry April 4-6, when the Forging Industry Association (FIA) will hold its expo and symposium for forging equipment, materials, supplies and services. The Cleveland Convention Center will open its doors on April 4 to begin the first day of Forge Fair 2017, which will offer a full trade show and symposium programming. This year, for the first time, forging suppliers will be exhibiting.

Should you be there?

Forge Fair 2017, like the many Forge Fairs before it, will be North America’s largest forging event. It will feature complete coverage of the forging industry and attract attendees from all over the world. No other event helps members of the forging industry connect with more qualified potential customers.

Forging professionals attend to see new products, make purchasing decisions and network with each other. Forging producers from across the globe using any forging process for any end-use application are encouraged to attend. Many come for the entire program and take advantage of the reduced three-day fee structure. Single-day attendance is also an option for those who can make it a day trip. Many forging producers send teams of attendees from their management, engineering, production and sales staffs. Based on historical figures, attendees from forging management and engineering functions comprise about 75% of total attendees.

Those who come will have an excellent opportunity to see the most recent and advanced products and technologies brought to bear on modern forging design, production and finishing. From material selection to shipment of finished parts to consulting services, the product offerings on the expo floor will be the largest assembled in North America under one roof. Exhibitor displays will feature innovations in heating, tooling, equipment, testing, automation, conservation of resources, process and plant improvements, and technology gains that are adaptable to all types of forging operations.

What do attendees get?

Forge Fair 2017 will open on Tuesday morning, April 4. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m., and the Expo floor will open to attendees at 11:00 a.m. Technical presentations will begin at 2:10 p.m. on that day. The show will close on Thursday, April 6, at 1:00 p.m.

Registered attendees can attend the show-floor expo during exhibit hours. More than 150 industry suppliers are expected to display their products and services in a walk-through, trade-show format. Exhibit booths will include presentations of equipment, operating models, AV demonstrations, and product and literature samples, plus one-on-one, question-and-answer opportunities with vendor representatives. The Expo hall is closed to general traffic while technical paper presentations are in session.

Technical papers will be presented in 25-minute program slots, each of which will consist of multiple concurrently running presentations that the attendee can select according to his/her individual interests. Up to 60 total technical presentations will be provided. The complete exhibit presentation schedule is available at www.forgefair.com.

Two group breakfasts, two buffet lunches and two evening cocktail receptions in the Exhibit Hall will increase time for attendees to speak with vendors one-on-one. Problem sharing and problem solving in a peer-group environment are key benefits of attending Forge Fair. The food and beverage functions are included in the registration fee for all attendees, either on a daily or full-conference basis. Attendee registration includes access to the exhibitor presentations and complimentary continental breakfasts, hot buffet lunches and evening receptions.

What’s new in 2017?

The scope of Forge Fair has expanded. For the first time in the event’s 40-year history, forging producers will exhibit in booths on the trade-show floor. These forging companies will be there to show off their capabilities and display some of their latest products.

By welcoming forging suppliers as exhibitors, Forge Fair 2017 will appeal to a new group of attendees: those who purchase forged parts. Forge Fair has never attracted these forging buyers as attendees before. To help introduce them to the event, FIA will host a complimentary “Why Forging?” seminar on April 4, before the exhibit hall opens. This free seminar is designed to inform buyers about the forging process, and it will show why forged parts are ideal in applications where reliability and safety are critical. The seminar is open to all Forge Fair 2017 attendees.

One new feature at Forge Fair 2017 will benefit all exhibitors and attendees, no matter what kind of companies they come from: complimentary Wi-Fi, which will be available throughout the exhibit hall and meeting rooms. This will make it easier than ever for exhibitors and attendees to connect and to keep up on work while they are away from the office.

Need more information?

Those interested in attending Forge Fair 2017 can get their questions answered and get up-to-date information by visiting www.forging.org and clicking on Forge Fair. By doing so, you can get a current list of exhibitors, descriptions of company products and services, links to exhibitor websites, contact information, booth floor plans and synopses/times of technical papers to be presented.

See you in Cleveland!

Who should attend?

Attendees of Forge Fair 2017 will represent custom, captive and catalog forging producers and buyers involved in a range of forging processes and materials, including impression-die forging; upset forging; open-die forging; seamless rolled-ring forging; hot, warm and cold forging; P/M forging and extrusion; ferrous, nonferrous and high-temperature materials; and conventional, precision and net-shape production.

Those in attendance will include:

  • Forging company executives
  • Forge plant managers
  • Engineering and maintenance supervisors
  • Energy, technical and operations managers
  • Suppliers to the forging industry
  • Forged-parts buyers

Attendee Registration Fees

  • FIA member three-day pass: $199
  • FIA member single-day pass: $102
  • Non-member three-day pass: $259
  • Non-member single-day pass: $132

Registration is available at www.forgefair.com.

Hotels

  • Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center  (800-228-9290)
    Mention Forge Fair 2017 to receive the discounted rate of $169 for a single or double room. Reservations must be made by March 11, 2017, to receive the discounted rate.
  • Westin Cleveland Downtown  (888-627-8085)
    Mention Forge Fair 2017 to receive the discounted rate of $169 for a single or double room. Reservations must be made by March 11, 2017, to receive the discounted rate.

About FIA

The Forging Industry Association (FIA) comprises 200 North American metal forging producers, suppliers and service providers. Its members account for more than 75% of custom forging volume produced annually in North America. Forged metals are pressed, pounded or rolled in countless configurations and used for critical applications in the aerospace, automotive, construction, materials handling, ordnance, hand tool and agricultural industries. FIA, along with its predecessor organizations, has served the forging industry since 1913. The association’s administrative headquarters is located in Cleveland, Ohio.