Manufacturing Beyond the Pilot: Scaling Smart Factories for Competitive Advantage

30 March 2027

Chicago, IL, USA

Manufacturers are entering a new era defined by economic uncertainty, workforce challenges, and accelerating technological change. Leaders are under growing pressure to increase output, strengthen resilience, and deliver measurable business outcomes while navigating increasingly complex operations.

Ageing infrastructure, legacy systems, skills shortages, and the need for greater operational agility continue to hinder transformation efforts. As automation, AI and smart factory technologies move from isolated initiatives to enterprise-wide adoption, organizations must establish scalable foundations that seamlessly connect data, systems, and teams.

Join manufacturing decision-makers in Chicago to explore the strategies, technologies, and real-world lessons shaping the next generation of smart factories. Discover how industry professionals are driving visibility, agility, and operational excellence while achieving sustainable ROI through connected, future-ready operations.

2026 Expert Smart Factories Summit Speakers

Scott Tankersley

Manufacturing Digital Transformation – Smart Factory Project Leader

American Honda Motor Company Inc

Deepak Sachdeva

Chief Information Officer

United States Air Force

Opeyemi Odusami

Former Associate Director, Global Supply Chain Product Lead - Rare Disease Franchise

Sanofi

Andy Mears

Production Operations Sr. Manager, Intelligent Factory Integration

Lockheed Martin

Josh Dotson

Industry 4.0 Leader

Koch

Jason Hamp

AI Technologist, North America Manufacturing Vertical

Lenovo

Sanjeev Kapoor

Senior Data & AI Program & Product Leader

Ford Motor Company

Leo Rajapakse

Global Head of Platform Infrastructure, Digital & Advanced Technologies

Bimbo Bakeries USA

Buckley Brinkman

Executive Director / CEO

Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing and Productivity

Billy Ingram

Director of Lean Product and Process Development

Interface

Sina Volkmann

CEO & Co-Founder

findIQ

Aaron Brown

CEO

Rapta, Inc.

Blake Gilson

Industrial Cyber Security Manager

ExxonMobil

Bill Nazario

OT Cyber Security Expert

Orange Busines

Samuel Parra

NA Manufacturing Integration Leader

BASF

Noorddin Taj

Digital Strategy, Innovation and Architecture

Josh Ross

Co-Founder & CEO

Ironloop

David Ting

Chief Technology Officer

Bespin Global

Suraj Sriram

Sr. Manager - Digital Manufacturing MES

Kimberly-Clark

Aravind Rajendra Kumar

Director, Global Product Line Management

Belden Inc.

Jonathan Wu

Chief Technology Officer of Smart Manufacturing

Lenovo

Pablo Lluch

IIoT Business Expert

Orange Business

Pete Kneski

Solution Consultant Practice Leader

Belden Inc.

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This summit will provide you with the necessary tools to:

Build connected data foundations by eliminating silos, strengthening governance, and creating scalable architectures for AI and advanced analytics

Enhance productivity, quality, and operational resilience through automation, connectivity, and intelligent manufacturing technologies

Improve decision-making and operational visibility with trusted, accessible, and actionable data across the enterprise

Equip teams with the skills, leadership, and cultural mindset needed to successfully drive digital transformation initiatives

Accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies by aligning people, processes, and data strategies with business objectives

Create a future-ready manufacturing organization capable of adapting to changing market demands and technological advancements

Who you will meet:

VPs, Directors, Global Heads and Managers of:

Smart Factory
Industry 4.0
Smart Manufacturing / Digital Manufacturing / Advanced Manufacturing / Intelligent Manufacturing
Intelligent Automation / Manufacturing Automation
Manufacturing Operations / Engineering / IT
IoT & Connected Devices
Data / AI / ML / Manufacturing Analytics
Digital Transformation
Robotics & Process Automation
Gen AI in Manufacturing
Enterprise Architecture
Supply Chain Digital Transformation
Digital Engineering

Our sponsors, technology & solution providers include:

- IIoT
- Big Data, AI, ML, Analytics
- Automation and Robotics
- Cloud Computing
- Vision Systems
- Digital Twin Technologies
- AR/VR
- Cybersecurity
- Edge Computing
- Unified Name Space / MQTT / Data Integration Platforms
- AGV’s / AMR’s
- Predictive Maintenance / Condition Based Monitoring Tools
- Additive Manufacturing/ 3D Printing
- Digital Thread / Lifecycle Management Tools
- Smart Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

AGENDA

Which Industries Attend the Smart Factories Summit?

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Smart Manufacturing Technology vendor landscape is vast. New entrants are innovating rapidly. It is therefore a prerequisite that solution providers acquire a granular understanding of the industry’s needs in order to develop those bespoke solutions that are critical to winning new business.

Showcase your technology solutions to senior decision makers across roles in industry 4.0, manufacturing technology, and data & analytics.

BE A SPONSOR

Smart Factories 2027 Sponsors

VIEW ALL SPONSORS

2026 Media Partners

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Smart Factories Summit Testimonials

As both a speaker and attendee at the Smart Manufacturing Conference by AMG World in Chicago last year, I really enjoyed the roundtable discussions and the interaction with the other attendees. It was an added benefit to have access to key vendors and suppliers in a more intimate setting at the conference. I was fortunate to make some great contacts whose products will be helpful to us on our Transformation journey.

We had a lot of fruitful discussions and inspiring conversations, and it was great to hear everyone's input about smart solutions for factories, but also to receive feedback on our technology and the value it provides. Thank you, AMG World, for organising the Smart Factories Summit and we hope to see you again next year!

It was a great event. It was great to see old friends, make new ones, and discuss the importance of committing to the future of manufacturing in the US. I look forward to next year's event and hope we can share some success stories based on the conversations we started at the summit!

Your gatherings are always interesting because they do not reward passivity. Everyone is expected to actively participate and (usually) the leaders are there to learn as well. It makes for a very interesting day.

I thought the event was very valuable. One of the best I’ve attended. The conversations I had with several of the attendees either reinforced our transformation efforts or educated us on better ways.

I do like that you keep the pace up. The quick cadence of the day is good. Very organized also. Food was good. Venue was good. Thank you for the coffee and pastries and lunch. Very nice touch. You do a lot it seems for your sponsors. Good visibility.

The Future Smart Manufacturing and Automation Summit was an extremely well run event, with great facilitators and good engagement across a number of manufacturers

Mark Collman

Global Automation Lead, / Newell Brands

An excellent way to interface with industry and discuss common struggles and solutions. You find tools and tricks in every single session

Kallin Kurtz

Strategic Automation Director, / Shaw Industries

The Smart Manufacturing & Automation Summit provided great insight into smart manufacturing and industry 4.0. The sponsors were extremely knowledgeable and engaged. I will take the insights back to my company as we continue to implement our IIOT strategy

Senior Manager – Manufacturing Systems / Newell Brands

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Smart Factories Summit 2026 Sponsorship Pack

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