by Gary Mintchell | Jan 17, 2017 | News, Organizations
MESA International has found a willing home for its annual North American conference once again aligning with the IndustryWeek Manufacturing & Technology (M&T) Conference & Expo. Both events will be held at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, May 8 – 10, 2017. Registration for the global MESA community is now open.
I remember when one of the early leaders of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition was worried that it would lose its branding for Smart Manufacturing. Lately I’ve held conversations with marketing directors in the industry who use the SM term in a more or less generic way. So that leader was correct—Smart Manufacturing has become a phrase in alignment with other global phrases such as Industrie 4.0.
Saying that, the theme of the MESA North American Conference is “The Real Value of Smart Manufacturing” and will focus on highlighting the quantified business value realized by practitioners who have implemented “Smart” solutions. The MESA event will have one dedicated track of speakers and a pre-conference networking and problem-solving workout within the IndustryWeek M&T schedule-of-events. MESA will also have a booth in the M&T Expo, International and Americas Board-of-Directors meetings, committee and Working Group collaboration and networking opportunities for the global MESA community. Event information is available here.
Commenting on the event, Stephanie Mikelbrencis, Chair of MESA’s Americas Board, said, “The business leaders who read IndustryWeek want to know how to demystify Smart Manufacturing. I encourage them to join us in Cleveland to learn and to interact with others on the same journey to improved operations and business performance.”
The three-day IndustryWeek M&T Show brings together over 1,200+ senior manufacturers, 100+ exhibitors and 50+ conference sessions across eight tracks in manufacturing operations and design engineering. Conference content focuses on the key elements of advanced manufacturing: technology integration, leadership, operational excellence, design/engineering, talent development and supply chain.
Mike Yost, MESA President, added, “This is our 3rd year formally co-locating our NA Conference with IndustryWeek because it’s our opportunity to connect a company’s drive for continuous improvement to the IT-based solutions that can empower them. If your ‘Manufacturing-IT Strategy’ and the expected business value aren’t clear to everyone in your organization, you need to get your teams to this event.”
About MESA
MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association) International is a global, not-for-profit community of manufacturers, producers, industry leaders and solution providers who are focused on improving Operations Management capabilities through the effective application of Information Technologies, IT-based solutions and best practices. Goals:
- Enable members to connect, contribute, cultivate understanding, and exchange strategies to drive operations excellence.
- Collect, share, and publish best practices and guidance to drive greater productivity and the overall profitability of the manufacturing enterprise.
- Educate the marketplace on manufacturing operations best practices through the MESA Global Education Program.
by Gary Mintchell | Dec 2, 2014 | Automation, Events, Manufacturing IT, News, Operations Management
MESA International
Just in from MESA International regarding its 2015 conferences. Yes, that’s plural. MESA has partnered with Industry Week magazine for several years in order to participate with the IndustryWeek Best Plants Conference & Expo.
The thinking goes along the lines that this venue attracts attendees whose positions include plant manager to director of manufacturing. These are the people most interested in the direction of the company’s Manufacturing IT direction and implementation.
The Americas Board-of-Directors for MESA International announced its North America events include plans to co-locate its annual conference within the IndustryWeek Best Plants (IWBP) Conference & Expo. The MESA conference will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, May 4 – 6, 2015. Registration for the MESA community will open mid-December 2014.
The theme of the MESA North American Conference is “Advancing. Manufacturing. IT.” and will focus on highlighting the business value of solving plant and enterprise-level manufacturing challenges with Information Technology (IT)-based solutions.
The MESA event consists of one dedicated track of speakers within the IWBP schedule-of-events, an exhibitors’ pavilion (the MESA ‘Manufacturing Meets IT’ Pavilion) within the IWBP Expo hall, and several MESA unConference sessions in Monday’s IWBP pre-conference workshops.
Commenting on the decision to co-locate with IWBP, Dennis Brandl, Chairman of MESA’s Americas Board, said, “The business leaders who read IndustryWeek want to know how modern Information Technologies, when properly understood and utilized in their operations, can change their manufacturing business for the better. I encourage them to join us in North Carolina to learn how leading companies are using advanced manufacturing IT solutions and to interact with others on the same journey to improved operations.”
Future Process Industry Plans
MESA is currently looking for the right venues and locations in the second half of 2015 that address the diverse makeup of its members. Brandl added, “Batch and continuous processes are equally important to MESA as is discrete manufacturing. Many companies have combinations of all of these processes, and supporting the right events that represent the breadth of these processes is the right way to cement and advance the MESA community.”
Commenting on the events plans in North America for 2015, Mike Yost, MESA President, said, “Everyone has a ‘Manufacturing-IT Strategy’. If it’s not clear to everyone in your organization – including the business value of your approach – you need to know the industry professionals that make up the MESA community. So, mark your calendar for May and stay tuned for more details about a fall event.”
by Gary Mintchell | Nov 13, 2014 | Manufacturing IT, News, Operations Management, Organizations
MESA International
This is an interesting announcement. One organization writes white papers and otherwise disseminates MES knowledge; the other is a standards setting organization. Although MESA did absorb WBF when it was left without a home. WBF was the developer of B2MML. All three of the organizations have contributed to the OpenO&M Initiative and to the OGI Pilot project.
Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Open Applications Group Inc. (OAGi). According to MESA, this agreement will make it easier for both organizations to work together and bring value to their common set of stakeholders, and formalizes the ways in which each organization can contribute to the other’s committees and working groups to bring specific expertise to key initiatives.
The speed of technology advancement is so rapid today that collaboration with industry thought leaders is more important than ever. MESA has always worked to bring domain experts together, share knowledge and drive industry forward. This agreement is another example of such an effort.
Commenting on this news, Mike Yost, president of MESA, said, “We’re happy to formalize this cooperative agreement with OAGi. Given the speed of business today and the ever-expanding role IT-based solutions are playing within manufacturers, we need more capable people at the table working together to drive value for everyone. This agreement helps ensure our two organizations can do just that.”
