Modern Machine Shop’s preview of IMTS 2026 emphasizes not only the scale of the exhibition but also a set of themed areas and side events intended to show how manufacturing is evolving in practice. The publication describes the show as covering six days, 1.2 million square feet and more than 1,800 exhibitors, with a dense schedule of attractions beyond the booth lineup.
One of the featured stops is The IMTS Shops Zone – Manufacturing in Motion, presented by Gardner Business Media in West Building booth 432634. The zone combines historical context with current production technology. Its central historical exhibit is Bridgeport Serial No. 1, identified as the first Bridgeport vertical milling machine, created by Rudolph Bannow in 1938 and loaned by the American Precision Museum. The display is paired with a current 2026 Bridgeport to illustrate changes in machine tool design over time. The same area also includes a cutaway 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 “Fury” engine from Ilmor Engineering and Hennessey Special Vehicles for the Hennessey Venom F5, a large custom-built machined and fabricated dart-and-target installation by Marathon Precision, and a FANUC robot cell.
Another area highlighted is the Industrial AI Arena at the front of the North Building. According to the source, this is the first time IMTS attendees will have access to a dedicated section bringing together more than 25 exhibitors focused on applied AI for manufacturing. The range of solutions cited includes quality and inspection, process optimization, downtime reduction, cybersecurity, safety and demand forecasting, enabling visitors to compare offerings from both startups and established suppliers.
The Emerging Technology Center, also at the front of the North Building, is presented as a forward-looking stop for visitors interested in where industrial production is headed. In partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Mazak and FANUC, the ETC is set to run a live end-to-end manufacturing system on the show floor. The system produces drone airframes through hybrid manufacturing and robotic assembly, while periodically integrating, testing and disassembling complete units. The stated aim is to make concepts such as digital twins, automation, AI and industrial surge capacity visible in a realistic manufacturing context.
Modern Machine Shop also points to the Smartforce Student Summit on North Building Level 1. Although primarily intended for students and prospective young manufacturing professionals, the area can also help industry visitors gauge the current state of manufacturing education and outreach through the universities, technical schools and workforce development organizations present. The source notes shorter opening hours than the rest of the show: 9:00 to 3:00 Monday through Friday and 9:00 to 1:00 on Saturday.
The list concludes with the Smart Manufacturing Experience Showcase in North Building booth 236702, where speakers are scheduled to discuss implementation strategies for automation-friendly technologies, including robotics and AI, in the context of the manufacturing skills gap. The publication specifically notes the panel “Unscripted Manufacturing: Real-Time Problem Solving Across the Industrial Ecosystem” at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16. It also calls attention to the Miles for Manufacturing 5K Run/Walk, scheduled for 7 a.m. that same day on Chicago’s Lakefront Trail, which the source says has raised more than $250,000 for STEM education since launching at IMTS 2014.
