Who could have imagined it? While the industry is bustling with news about the upcoming Formnext in Frankfurt with daily updates about new products and announcements, it is Formnext Chicago 2025 instead that is causing a stir. The Chicago trade fair, expected to take place officially for the first time in 2025, had already caused widespread discussion in the industry due not just to anticipation but also the fact that RAPID + TCT 2025 was scheduled at the same time. As a result, a large number of exhibitors and visitors were forced to decide which event to attend. But today, Formnext organizers announced that Formnext 2025 Chicago has been postponed to a later date. But what is behind all this?
For some context, Rapid + TCT is one of the most important additive manufacturing trade shows in North America. Furthermore, it is attracting an increasingly international audience as companies all over the world are looking to internationalize, using the American market as a springboard. Rapid + TCT is the perfect stage for this, bringing together American companies while also providing an opportunity for non-US companies to make their first steps into the US market. This year, Rapid + TCT attracted around 400 exhibitors in Los Angeles at the end of June, with even more expected in Detroit in 2025.
Photo: Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH
Formnext Frankfurt, on the other hand, is undoubtedly the most important trade fair for additive manufacturing in Europe due to its size. The organizers of Formnext, Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, want to build on these results and internationalize the successful model. Formnext is no longer limited to Frankfurt am Main, but also takes place in Tokyo, Austin and Shenzhen, in the South of China. And until today, Chicago 2025 was also on the program.
The initial decision to bring Formnext to Chicago was intended to bring companies in the US into contact with AM and to emphasize the potential of additive manufacturing. The focus was to be on the successful implementation of AM technologies and opportunities for industrialization. The scheduled date of April 8 to 10, 2025 – the same time as Rapid + TCT in Detroit – was not always received favorably by the industry. This overlap thus played a decisive role in the cancellation of Formnext Chicago 2025.
In its press release, Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH claims to have been in discussions with all parties in order to resolve the scheduling situation. Nevertheless, they ultimately decided to postpone the event. “After careful consideration and intensive discussions with our key partners, we have jointly decided to postpone the start of Formnext Chicago, which was originally scheduled for 8-10 April 2025. This decision was not taken lightly. We are convinced that it is in the best interests of the industry and the companies involved,” explains Sascha Wenzler, Vice President of Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
In addition to the scheduling conflict, economic and geopolitical reasons were also mentioned. The current economic situation and geopolitical conflicts have already increased the pressure on all industry partners. We can already see how this is changing the AM sector. According to Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, scheduling two events of equal importance at the same time (and thereby increasing the pressure on the industry) is not in the interests of the event.
Photo: Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH
In fact, it was already apparent at this year’s Rapid + TCT that there has been increased pessimism in the industry. According to information shared at a press conference in September, Formnext Frankfurt meanwhile has characterized itself as defined by stability and consolidation in the industry. These circumstances underline the current challenging situation in the AM industry.
Mesago Stays on Course for Formnext USA
Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH is now working with its partners AMT (The Association For Manufacturing Technology – organizer of IMTS), Gardner Business Media and Messe Frankfurt USA to establish a new strategy for Formnext for the US market. “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,” confirms Douglas Woods, President of AMT.
In the future, Mesago also wants to make more of an effort to collaborate and consider data from competitor events and incorporate the needs of the industry into its decisions. Although this step can be seen as a sobering chapter for Formnext USA, there is no doubt that we can expect a Formnext USA in the future, as Petra Haarburger, Managing Director of Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH emphasizes: “We thank our partners and the entire community for their support and understanding and look forward to working together to shape the next steps for Formnext in the US.” Find out more here.
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*Cover Photo Credits: Skyline of Chicago. Copyright: Nina Schwarzer / Mesago Messe Frankfurt