IMTS 2026 Draws 91,295 Registrants to Manufacturing Technology Show

IMTS 2026 attracted 91,295 registrants, 1,788 exhibiting companies and 14,447 students and educators to McCormick Place in Chicago, according to the event’s post-show report. The six-day International Manufacturing Technology Show, held Sept. 14–19, covered 1,177,860 square feet of exhibit space and featured technologies spanning traditional machining, automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and additive manufacturing.

The report provides insight into attendee demographics, purchasing involvement and technology interests across the manufacturing industry.

Manufacturing Decision-Makers Represent 81% of Visitors

According to the report, 81% of visitors participated in the purchasing process. Company management and corporate executives represented 25% of visitors, followed by manufacturing engineering at 15%, manufacturing production at 11%, and sales and marketing at 11%.

The event also recorded 2,488 conference registrations, reflecting participation in educational and technical programming alongside the exhibition floor.

Tooling, Automation and Industrial AI Among Leading Interests

Tooling and workholding ranked as the leading product category, followed by industrial AI. Other areas of interest included milling, boring, drilling and tapping; automated systems and cells; automation and material handling; machining centers; autonomous AI; and additive manufacturing.

The range of categories represented both established manufacturing processes and newer digital technologies. These areas support applications involving machining, production automation, material movement and the integration of AI into manufacturing operations.

U.S. and International Attendance

The strongest U.S. state representation came from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio. The leading international markets were Canada, Mexico, China, India and Japan.

The report also showed participation from manufacturers of different sizes. Facilities with fewer than 20 employees accounted for 22.4% of visitors, while 41.4% came from plants employing 100 or more people.

These figures indicate that IMTS attracted representatives from both smaller manufacturing operations and larger industrial facilities.

First-Time Attendees and Younger Generations

First-time attendees represented 53% of visitors at IMTS 2026. Millennials and Generation Z together accounted for 55% of the audience, while women represented 11%.

The attendee demographics provide a snapshot of participation across generations and highlight the continued importance of workforce development and industry representation.

Students and Educators Participate in Manufacturing Technology Event

IMTS 2026 welcomed 14,447 students and educators, providing opportunities to engage with manufacturing technologies and industry professionals. Organizations represented at the event included NASA, SpaceX, Google Cloud, national laboratories and manufacturing companies.

Student participation was one component of the event’s broader audience, which included manufacturing professionals, technology providers and representatives from other sectors connected to industrial innovation.

IMTS 2026 Attendance Data Highlights Manufacturing Industry Trends

The post-show report documents the scale and composition of the 2026 manufacturing technology event, including purchasing involvement, technology interests, company sizes and workforce demographics.

The combination of tooling, machining, automation, industrial AI and additive manufacturing among the reported areas of interest illustrates the range of technologies represented at the show. The attendance figures also provide a reference point for understanding the manufacturing professionals and organizations participating in the industry’s technology marketplace.

For additional details, consult the IMTS 2026 Post-Show Report.