Formnext Chicago Postponed Amid Competitive Landscape and Market Challenges

The upcoming Formnext Chicago, which was scheduled for April 8-10, 2025, at McCormick Place, has been postponed due to changes in the additive manufacturing (AM) market and overlap with RAPID+TCT. The announcement was made by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, Mesago Messe Frankfurt, and Gardner Business Media. The decision underscores the complexity of launching new large-scale events in North America amidst a busy and evolving landscape.

Douglas K. Woods, President of AMT, highlighted the key factors leading to the decision, noting that “in light of the current market conditions, the structural dynamics of AM, and scheduling conflicts with another AM show, it became increasingly difficult for us to host a successful and impactful event. After careful consideration, we believe that postponement of Formnext Chicago is the most responsible decision under current circumstances.” He added, “Our priority is to support the buyer and seller community in ways that truly benefit their businesses, and we believe this is the best course of action to achieve that goal.”

Navigating a Crowded Event Calendar

This postponement comes as global competition among AM trade shows heats up. In North America, RAPID + TCT continues to dominate, drawing over 350 exhibitors annually, with a significant portion of these participants making their event debut. Meanwhile, Messe Frankfurt successfully trialed its entry into the U.S. market with the Formnext Forum: Austin, testing the waters for its full-fledged expansion. The event in Austin indicated that interest remains strong, but also highlighted the challenges of establishing new events in an already-crowded landscape.

With AMT and Gardner as partners, there were high hopes for the Chicago event, as they run the continent’s largest manufacturing event, the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). Because Formnext was able to displace the largest AM trade show in Europe, Euromold, it’s possible that the partners hoped to accomplish a similar coup in North America

Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President of Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt, acknowledged these challenges, stating, “We feel that it is not the right timing or the appropriate signal to the market to proceed with the launch in 2025. Our focus remains on supporting the industry, and postponing the event allows us to better align with the evolving needs of companies and the market landscape.”

Aligning with Future Growth Opportunities

Despite the postponement, the event organizers expressed optimism about the long-term prospects for additive manufacturing in North America. Rick Kline Jr., President of Gardner Business Media, reinforced this, stating, “As disappointed as we are to postpone Formnext Chicago, we remain committed to serving and growing the industrial additive manufacturing community through content and events. Our broad manufacturing audience represents the sweet spot for growth in the market. Highlighted by the editorial leadership of ‘Additive Manufacturing Media,’ we remain focused on driving AM awareness.”

Formnext Chicago was intended to be the North American counterpart to the globally successful Formnext event in Germany, which has become the largest AM-focused trade show in the world. The long-term vision remains focused on establishing a central gathering point in the U.S. to support the entire additive manufacturing ecosystem.

In place of the postponed event, the organizers will concentrate their efforts on expanding the additive manufacturing presence at IMTS 2026. Woods emphasized that “our goal as an organization is to bring communities together and move them forward. We will continue to build bridges between buyers and sellers of AM technology, the manufacturing and AM communities, and the organizations supporting the technology, an objective that will continue at IMTS 2026 with enhancements to the Additive Manufacturing Sector and expanded conferences at the world’s largest manufacturing event.”