The UPS Store’s “Ask the Experts” Panel at Inside 3D Printing Will Answer All Your Pressing 3D Printing Questions

At next week’s Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo in Santa Clara, CA, put on by MecklerMedia, The UPS Store will be on hand to sponsor a panel that should answer a lot of questions–literally. The “Ask the Experts” panel, set for October 22nd in the 10:45-11:45 am agenda slot, promises to bring together a group of incredibly well-informed movers and shakers in the 3D printing space to bring light to all the nagging questions that plague the rest of us, from the curious to the expansive maker working away in a shop to the designer looking to see how 3D printing can benefit their work.

Panelists will respond directly to submitted questions from anyone who wants to know more. Each comes from a background offering a unique insider perspective on the industry, ready to share knowledge borne of years of hard work and daily, hands-on participation and analysis.

The official session description explains:

“What does the future hold for 3D Print? Join us for this rare opportunity to get your 3D print questions answered by our panel of experts including Terry Wohlers, Principal Consultant & President, Wohlers Associates, Inc.; Richard Garrity, Vice President and General Manager, Vertical Solutions, Stratasys; and Daniel Remba, Small Business Technology Leader, The UPS Store. As part of The UPS Store’s 3D Print Week Oct. 19-23, this panel will look at key trends, innovative uses and future predictions for the 3D print industry. Each panelist will take questions from the live audience along with questions submitted in advance on Twitter. To submit questions in advance, tweet them using #3DPWeek by 10 a.m. PST on Oct. 22. This session will be filmed and later posted to YouTube. Space is limited so get to this session early to get a spot.”

Any regular reader here at 3DPrint.com will certainly recognize the stature of the organizations represented, as we often take a look at reports from Wohlers Associates, examine the multi-faceted reach of industry giant Stratasys, and have covered the goings-on at The UPS Store. These are some of the biggest names out there, and representatives from each will be on hand to provide a first-hand to tell us–well, I guess we’ll find out!

The three panelists are well-versed in various aspects of the industry, and have discussed their potential contributions so far as content goes. However, until the questions are all submitted, they don’t know yet what exactly they’ll be answering. Questions, submitted both via Twitter and from members of the audience during the session, will drive the content of the session.

Unsure what to ask? Take a look at the panelists’ backgrounds to get an idea of what they can speak to with authority, with bios provided by The UPS Store:

Terry Wohlers

Wohlers is set to present his informed predictions for 2016 so far as the growth of 3D printing is concerned. What does the future hold? Wohlers has a unique perspective to share regarding materials and technologies that may emerge, and how 3D printer use among small business owners might alter the shape of the market.

Terry Wohlers is the founder, principal consultant, and president of Wohlers Associates, Inc., an independent consulting firm that was launched 28 years ago. Wohlers and his team have provided consulting assistance to more than 240 organizations in 24 countries, as well as to 150+ companies in the investment community. He has authored 400 books, articles, and technical papers and has given more than 125 keynote presentations on five continents. Wohlers has twice served as a featured speaker at events held at the White House. He has appeared on many television and radio news programs, including NPR, CBS Radio News, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox Business, Australia’s Sky News, and China’s CCTV. For the past 20 years, Wohlers has been a principal author of the Wohlers Report, an annual worldwide publication focused on additive manufacturing and 3D printing. It has served as the undisputed industry-leading report on the subject for two decades. In 2007, more than 1,000 industry professionals from around the world selected Wohlers as the #1 most influential person in rapid product development and additive manufacturing. In 2004, he received an Honorary Doctoral Degree from Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Richard Garrity 

Garrity offers the benefits of his extensive background in understanding applications in the aerospace, automotive, and healthcare industries for 3D printing. He will share his own predictions for the shape of 3D printing, addressing his thoughts on its potential replacement of traditional, subtractive manufacturing methods. Garrity will additionally touch on interesting uses of 3D printing in plastics.

Richard Garrity is VP and General Manager, Vertical Solutions for Stratasys. Heading the Vertical Solutions division, Garrity is responsible for defining additive manufacturing solutions that complement or displace traditional manufacturing processes, addressing the growing demand across key vertical markets of aerospace, automotive, medical, dental, and education. Garrity joined Stratasys in 2010 previously serving as the VP and General Manager for its RedEye subsidiary (now part of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing) where he led aggressive growth and expansion for the advanced digital manufacturing service provider.

Daniel Remba

For his part, Remba is prepared to discuss some of the issues that pertain to consumer, prosumer, and small business users, touching on what differentiates machines in the desktop home use category from those targeted for professional users. He will remark on how one might go about getting started in 3D printing, how to use 3D printing for prototyping purposes, the differences between types of files, and costs involved in production of 3D printed items.

Daniel Remba joined The UPS Store, Inc., in February 2011 as the small business technology leader. Remba is the product manager for 3D printing, in-store retail and business bundles. Remba researches, develops and implements launches of new items to be sold in 4,500+ retail stores through collaboration with various internal departments, vendors, and agencies. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from San Diego State University.

If you’re interested in submitting your questions to the panel ahead of time, remember to turn to social media–tweet at the panelists using hashtag #3DPrintWeek to send in your questions ahead of the panel. Or, if you’ll be attending and will ask a question then–please sit near me, I’m curious to hear what you’re curious about! If you’re planning to attend Inside 3D Printing Santa Clara, remember that readers of 3DPrint.com can save 20% on registration by using discount code 3DPRINT.  Let us know your thoughts on this panel in the Inside 3D Printing ‘Ask The Experts’ forum thread on 3DPB.com.