The complaints about the film The Longest Day being set on a beach in France pale in comparison to experiencing Formnext. By the second day, it already feels like the third, partly due to the event’s extension with pre-events hosted by ASTM, SLM Solutions, and various regional and sectoral collectives. This early start often leads to fatigue setting in sooner than in previous years, making later-week parties and events less appealing. Given this and Formnext’s overall efficiency, planning for a longer stay is advisable. Spending an extra day here is far more effective than attempting to meet all these people individually elsewhere.
FutureNext
Formnext is unquestionably the premier event in additive. However, it may need to adapt to remain so. AMPOWER’s Matthias Schmidt-Lehr noted on a panel that focusing on applications could drive companies to attend vertical industry shows where their clients are, such as AOPA for prosthetics. This shift might lead some players to reduce their spending on Formnext.
That said, the randomness of Formnext is one of its greatest strengths. Tuan Tranpham highlighted this, mentioning how chance encounters often became his event highlights. Formnext is where you might meet the key contact at BMW, Airbus, or an unexpected application expert. As the industry becomes more interconnected and workflows more integrated, seeing the full spectrum of “LEGO pieces” in the process chain grows increasingly vital. The happenstance of meeting someone while waiting for a sandwich is one of the show’s most valuable assets.
Still, will there be a migration away from Formnext? It’s unclear.
Domin is an example of a company embodying the industry’s future. Specializing in actuators that rival those from Parker and Moog, Domin leverages AM to produce cost-competitive solutions for other markets. Yet, a seasoned industry expert admitted to never having heard of Domin. Their CEO, Marcus, seemed unbothered, recognizing that most attendees likely aren’t in the market for actuators. Marcus represents a vision for additive—mastering the technology to create value in other industries.
Conflux, another standout company, takes a different approach. Unlike Domin, they are well-known and maintain a presence at Formnext with a stand. For Conflux, headquartered in Australia, the event is an opportunity to connect with global partners and meet new contacts. It also provides a chance to explore the latest industry developments in one place.
Both Domin and Conflux use Formnext as a springboard for new relationships and as a vital resource to stay current with industry trends. For companies like these, the event remains an indispensable part of their strategy, balancing targeted engagement with the power of serendipitous discovery.
One of my favorite stands.
In this context, the format of Formnext may shift, moving away from a heavy focus on large stands and towards a stronger emphasis on hospitality and information exchange. The demand for meeting rooms and VIP arrangements is likely to surge in the coming years. Restaurants, private events, and innovative ways to connect with attendees may become a more significant part of the overall investment.
For instance, a dedicated hotel-to-stand VIP service would be a welcome addition, offering much-needed convenience to weary Formnext regulars. Beyond logistics, introducing high-level benchmarks, technology tours, and in-depth educational opportunities could help facilitate this next phase of the event’s evolution.
While OEMs and materials suppliers will likely continue to favor prominent stands, the variety of displays on the show floor may diminish over time. Instead, more personalized and engaging formats could take center stage, aligning with the industry’s changing priorities and the evolving needs of attendees.
Application Stands
One way to counter a potential shift away from traditional displays is to focus on creating high-quality application stands. Farsoon (11.0 E11) provided an excellent example of this approach at Formnext this year. Their stand not only showcased their machine and a variety of parts but also prominently featured pillars highlighting contributions from AP Works and other partners, suppliers, and services.
By integrating these collaborators into their stand, Farsoon created a dynamic ecosystem where users could engage with service bureaus and end users as part of their journey through the exhibit. This approach brought their brand and overall offering to life, making it feel more credible and compelling. Instead of simply presenting a static display—a single machine and sales representatives—they showcased a vibrant, interconnected network that demonstrated their ecosystem in action.
At the same time, many exhibitors have clearly put effort into selecting and displaying appealing applications. Stratasys and HP, known for doing this well for years, continue to set the standard. Across the board, however, the quality of presentations is noticeably improving. Explanations and QR codes for additional information are also better.
A notable exception was the Fraunhofer stand. While it featured some better explanations this year, many parts were displayed without context or meaningful details. Typically, I spend hours at the Fraunhofer booth, but this time, I was in and out as quickly as a trip to Taco Bell.
On the other hand, ColorFabb (12.1 B59) presented an excellent example of a well-executed stand. The Dutch filament maker eschewed the typical piles of tchotchkes, opting instead for a curated, museum-like environment that highlighted their key applications. Lightweight filament for drones and the latest Zellerfeld shoes were displayed in a space that perfectly aligned with their premium, innovation-focused brand.
While I’ve been skeptical of Zellerfeld, I’m a strong advocate for TPU material extrusion shoes. If you see just one thing today, visit the ColorFabb booth and check out those shoes. The torsion and breathability will transform how you think about the potential of 3D-printed footwear.
Many exhibitors seemed completely disengaged, with staff who clearly didn’t want to be there and made no effort to interact with the public. If you don’t care about your product and spend the day on your phone, looking jaded and exhausted from doing nothing—like a 16-year-old slouched on a living room couch—why should I care about you or your company?
The per-hour cost of an employee sitting idle at Formnext is staggering. Companies need to find ways to better engage their staff because this level of apathy is not just wasteful; it’s often demotivating. What kind of company allows this to happen? Is it a ship of fools yawning their way into oblivion? Walking around these stands can feel like visiting the DMV. If I wanted to see bored people scrolling Instagram, I’d take a bus ride instead.
If you’re too bored to engage with passersby and have no constructive way to draw them in, how can anyone trust you to make something as critical as satellite parts? What we do is exciting, varied, and innovative—not mundane. Let’s act like it.