Sharing information, driving innovation in manufacturing and preparing an advanced manufacturing workforce will be the focus of the 2013 Society of Manufacturing Engineers Annual Conference to be held June 2-4, 2013, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Md. “This year’s meeting focuses on areas crucial to the future of American manufacturing, innovation and workplace development,” said Mark Tomlinson, CEO and executive director of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). “I invite anyone with an interest in advancing the industry to join us to discuss industry trends and employment, hear from experts in emerging technologies, and visit local manufacturers who are deploying those technologies.”

The conference kicks off Sunday, June 2, with a “State of the Society” luncheon, member workshops and a tech fair featuring area manufacturers using in-demand 3-D printing and RAPID technology. Students from George Washington Carver Center for Arts & Technology in Towson, Md., and local students involved in First Robotics, SkillsUSA and Project Lead the Way will participate in the student activities. The tech fair will be the location for judging of the “The Future of Manufacturing” student competition. This is a collegiate-level manufacturing competition in which student chapter members choose, select and build their own manufacturing project to be evaluated by a select group of manufacturing professionals and educators. Schools participating in the challenge this year are University of Colorado Denver, Colorado; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York; Chippewa Valley Technical College, Wisconsin; and PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh India.

Monday, June 3, is Leadership Day and begins with a keynote address by Dr. Alan S. Gregerman, president and chief innovation officer of Venture Works, Inc. Gregerman is author of Surrounded by Geniuses and Lessons from the Sandbox. The remainder of the morning is dedicated to presentations and discussions of industry trends and executive briefings from experts in eight technical communities. The afternoon features a workforce panel on how corporations, government agencies and academic institutions are working together to build a competitive workplace system and narrow the manufacturing skills gap, followed by breakout sessions on leadership in manufacturing. Tuesday, June 4, is Workforce Development Day, beginning with a keynote panel, "Winning Over Lawmakers to Support Rapid 3D Digital Technologies for Manufacturing.”

The keynote luncheon speaker is Ro Khanna, former deputy assistant secretary of commerce, who will also sign copies of his book, “Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America's Future.” That afternoon, SME offers tours of four facilities – NASA Goddard, Marlin Steel, Ellicott Dredges and Domino Sugar. SME is including a one-year membership with all paid conference registrations. Also included is admission to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers International Awards Gala honoring the outstanding achievements of SME members.