What Can You Expect From AMUG 2024?

AMUG 2024 is right around the corner! The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference is a mainstay in AM events in the United States, aiming to “bring together engineers, designers, managers, and educators from around the world to share expertise, best practices, challenges, and application developments in additive manufacturing.” This year, it will be taking place, March 10th – 14th, 2024, in Chicago. But what exactly can you expect from this event?

As with other years, the conference will be a mix of education, conference, trainings, workshops and networking. And, it’s not too late to attend! You can still register for the event HERE. But let’s first look at what exactly you can expect from AMUG 2024.

AMUG 2024 will be taking place in Chicago this year

A Closer Look at AMUG 2024

If you haven’t heard about AMUG before, it’s important to note that this conference is different from the trade shows that tend to dominate this sphere. Rather, AMUG has a focus on education and advancing AM and 3D printing by gathering users of all levels. To do this, peer interaction will truly be the core of the event.

This is accomplished through much stronger focus on presentations, workshops, competitions and especially networking in the event. While many other industry events, particularly trade shows, are characterized more by exhibitors, AMUG 2024 is geared to the personal with networking, technical competitions, breakout sessions and even an 80s theme night on Wednesday (although exhibitors are also present at the show).

Director of Membership Claire Belson Barnes further explains, “AMUG Conferences are your ultimate playground for forging new connections and partnerships. Embrace the camaraderie, ignite your creativity, and unlock the potential for groundbreaking collaborations to shape the future of AM.” But what else can attendees look forward to?

Peer interaction is the core of AMUG 2024

Featured Stage Presentations

One of the most anticipated parts of AMUG is undoubtedly stage presentations (over 150!), including the two keynote presentations. In AMUG 2024, the keynote speakers are Jason Lopes, Director – Additive Manufacturing at Gentle Giant Studios, who will speak on Tuesday, March 12th, and Olaf Diegel, Professor of Additive Manufacturing at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who will be on stage on Thursday, March 14th.

If you are involved in additive manufacturing, you have certainly heard these names before. Diegel is well-known not only in academic circles but on social media where he has posted innumerable, incredible 3D printing projects including guitars. He is expected to focus on good DfAM practices, showing how to optimize 3D printing processes to create parts for industries like transportation, aerospace and healthcare.

Meanwhile, Jason Lopes has made a name for himself and Gentle Giant, working on the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, including Avatar, Terminator Genisys & Salvation, Thor, and the three Iron Man films. His talk will discuss how additive manufacturing and 3D scanning are being advance in the entertainment and creative services industries.

Jason Lopes (left) and Olaf Diegel (right) will be the keynote speakers at AMUG 2024

Ed Graham, AMUG’s Director of Education and Conference, further confirmed, “Our 2024 keynote speakers embody additive manufacturing as an art form for tackling complex challenges and elevating what is possible. I believe that Olaf’s and Jason’s talks with be complementary, having different perspectives on the creative use of additive manufacturing, and they will bring a global view of additive case studies to the stage.”

Awards at the Show

Awards are also a key part of AMUG. In 2024, though we have not yet learned about the winners of awards like the technical competitions, we do know some of those who will be honored at the event. First up is Greg Morris, CTO of Zeda, Inc., who was announced in September 2023 to be the recipient of the Innovators Award.  This honors those who “have cultivated innovative practices that have advanced the additive manufacturing industry” according to a press release from AMUG. Morris’s heavy involvement in introducing additive metals to the USA played a key role in his selection, and during the show he will give an interview in the “Innovators Showcase.”

More recently, recipients of two of AMUG’s scholarships have also been announced. Alex Campbell, a fourth-year aerospace engineering student at Ohio State University, was awarded the Guy E. Bourdeau Scholarship for students in additive manufacturing. At teh same time, Phil Rufe, an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering at Eastern Michigan University, was elected for the Randy Stevens Scholarship for educators in additive manufacturing, as announced in a recent press release. The scholarship recipients will be attending AMUG 2024, presenting their work on March 12th, 2024.

Competitions, including those dedicated to parts, will also be a key part of AMUG 2024

Rajeev Kulkarni, Chair of the AMUG Scholarship Committee, expressed, “The recipients of the scholarships embody a deep-seated enthusiasm for additive manufacturing that originated many years ago and has endured over time. Additionally, the committee acknowledged their aspirations to challenge and improve established practices, accompanied by proactive efforts to transform these into reality. Through their mentorship initiatives, they inspire others to contribute to global change.”

It will also be possible to attend the multiple technical competitions live during the show, with the winners announced on the last day as well as see the recipients of the highly-anticipated DINO award. In any case, it is clear to see that AMUG 2024 will be as dynamic as it always is. Attendees can certainly look forward to an exciting roster of speakers and meetings throughout the full four days, making it an opportunity not to be missed. You can register for AMUG 2024 HERE.

Will you be attending the show? What are you most excited about at AMUG 2024? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.