CAMX 2018 Kicks Off in Dallas

The premier composites industry event in North America returns to Dallas, where it was held in 2015.

October 16, 2018 (Dallas, TX.) CAMX – The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo opened today at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, TX., continuing its fifth year as the composites and advanced materials industry’s premier conference and trade show.

The expo, produced by the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) covers all aspects of the world’s composites and advanced materials communities. It is North America’s go-to event for products, solutions, networking and advanced industry thinking. The exhibition unites all aspects of the world’s composites and advanced materials communities. The conference will cover a wide array of topics and markets, including aerospace, automotive, architecture, 3-D printing, marine, transportation, recycling, wind energy, software, construction and infrastructure, sports and leisure, university research and more.

This year, CAMX co-located with the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) 2018 Expo, making this the biggest CAMX event ever. For close to a century, IFAI Expo has been regarded as the industrial fabric industry’s flagship show for commerce, networking and knowledge. CAMX and IFAI have a special pavilion called “IFAI/CAMX SharedZone,” which includes exhibitors offering products and services of interest to all CAMX and IFAI Expo attendees. The co-location of events unites the strengths of both groups—combining all aspects of these world-class industry expos and highlighting machining products to the attendees of both expos.

“We are excited about this year’s co-location with the IFAI Expo,” said Gregg Balko, SAMPE CEO. “This large assembly is a great opportunity to network between both expos and gain knowledge from new and previous exhibitors in our largest exhibit hall ever and especially in the IFAI/CAMX SharedZone.”

The Exhibit Hall will remain open until October 18. The show floor includes exhibits featuring the latest product innovations from all over the world. Attendees will see composites in action through live demonstrations and interactive displays.

Innovation Park, which was introduced at last year’s show, is an Exhibit Hall enhancement that creates opportunities for attendees to make new connections, exchange ideas and learn new things. The park is comprised of specialized “zones” tailored to the learning, networking and inspirational needs of CAMX attendees.

“Last year, we saw how Innovation Park redefined by what means CAMX attendees experience a trade show,” said Tom Dobbins, ACMA President. “At a traditional trade show or conference, it can be difficult to find time to interact, learn and think organically, so we provided the atmosphere and tools to do this with Innovation Park.”

Prior to the opening of the CAMX Exhibit Hall, attendees of the Opening General Session: CAMX Live! heard from Dr. Charles Kuehmann, current Vice President of Materials Engineering for both SpaceX and Tesla Motors and former product design leader at Apple. Charles shared his insights on delivering materials innovations in electric cars, space travel, energy storage, and even bubble gum. He encouraged the composites industry not to panic when facing challenges, but rather, leverage technologies and materials across all sectors to create new solutions.

“CAMX 2018 is off to a great start! We thank Dr. Kuehmann for sharing an inspiring message for our industry, as well as sneak peek into the brilliant ideas and future that SpaceX and Tesla Motors have imagined for our world. This excitement will continue over the next three days.” said Heather Rhoderick, ACMA Senior Vice President of Events and Information and CAMX Show Director.

For more information on how to make the most of your CAMX experience, download the CAMX app. Search the Apple Store or Google Play for “CAMX 2018” to download in the app to your mobile device. The app features MyCAMX Planner, which you can use to customize your CAMX schedule. For live updates on CAMX, follow the event on Twitter using the hashtag #CAMX18 or visit www.thecamx.org.