A RECORD TOTAL of 121,764 visitors attended the 1998 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, breaking the previous attendance record established two years ago.
New features and design improvements were plentiful, but the focus of the show was the integration of computer systems with machines and system components. There was a noticeable convergence of technologies, designed to boost productivity and reduce costs.
Chicago's McCormick Place played host to the event, employing all five levels of the exhibition hall. Exhibitors filled the complex with 60 million pounds of machinery and another five million pounds of display material during the show's eight-day run, September 9-16. An estimated 4,600 trucks were unloaded during move-in.