formnext 2016 in Review: Growth in 3D Printing Industry Demonstrated in Expanded Conference

[Source: formnext via Facebook]

I’m finally back to my desk following a very busy week in Frankfurt, following the latest in 3D printing news right from the showroom floor at formnext 2016, organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt Group and powered by TCT. Our team has been tirelessly reporting on all the announcements from the week, while I’ve been keeping you up to date with some highlights right from Frankfurt Messe, but now that the week is over and the dusts are settling, we’re finally able to look back on all that this conference had to offer. From its start last year, formnext has already seen growth of nearly 50%, showing the incredible demand for gatherings in additive manufacturing and the international audience (44% of visitors came in from outside of Germany) ready to network, learn, announce, and partner together in the fast-growing additive field.

I was spotted! That’s me in the reddish coat walking in to Frankfurt Messe on Tuesday morning. From the formnext Instagram/Facebook pages: “Lot of traffic at the entrance on day 1 of formnext. #formnext16 #3dprinting #additivemanufacturing”
“formnext 2016 sets a clear statement. Already with the second edition it established a fixed place in the event calendars of the related industries,” Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President formnext at event organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, expressed.

From the show floor to a filled-out press conference agenda as well as keynotes and speakers in the conference area and two competitions (Start-Up and Purmundus Challenges), formnext 2016 encompassed quite a lot. As formnext reports, this year’s figures include, with 2015 figures noted parenthetically:

Exhibition space: 18,702 m² (2015: 14,028 m²)
Exhibitors: 307 (2015: 203)
Visitors: 13,384 (2015: 8,982)
Conference participants: 647 (2015: 266) (day passes reserved)

For next year’s event, formnext is already looking to expand further — and the demand is clearly there for expansion! In just under a year now (November 14-17, 2017), formnext will be back in Frankfurt am Main.

While I logged miles going around the show floor and meeting the innovative individuals behind many of these announcements, it would have been impossible to stop everywhere at formnext 2016; though this wasn’t the biggest conference by square footage I’ve attended in recent months, the fact that it was fully dedicated to additive technologies meant that every booth was relevant to us here at 3DPrint.com. I’ll be sharing more details with you as the days go on, so stay tuned for information right from XJet, Roboze, 3D Systems, 3devo, Materialise, BigRep, MachineWorks, HP, DyeMansion, BeAM, Sigma Labs, OR LASER, Opiliones 3D, EnvisionTEC, and more!

Below are more photos of some highlights from the later days at formnext 2016!