First combined trade show will take place November 15-18, 2009, at McCormick Place in Chicago

DEARBORN, Mich., April 2, 2008 - Four industry-leading trade show organizers have formed an alliance to better serve the needs of trade show exhibitors and manufacturers in North America from the fields of fabricating, tube & pipe, welding and cutting, metalforming, and related processes.  The show alliance between the three organizers of the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show [the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International (FMA) and the American Welding Society (AWS)] and the organizer of METALFORM [the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA)] will result in a combined annual exhibition.

While the first official combined exhibition will take place in November 2009, the partners have agreed to a "soft start" at the 2008 FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show, to be held October 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. The Vegas show will include a METALFORM pavilion, displaying innovations in stamping technology. An estimated 20,000 people from around the world are expected to visit the show, which will feature more than 800 exhibits.

By uniting the industry under one roof, the newly combined event will be significantly more inclusive, adding value for both exhibitors and attendees.   The 2009 show is expected to cover 650,000 net sq. ft. with 1,300 exhibiting companies, becoming the "one-stop shop" in North America where attendees can access the latest materials, equipment and services for all metalforming, fabricating, tube & pipe, welding and cutting technologies.  As the most comprehensive event in the industry, the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show and METALFORM will be the Western Hemisphere's single, must- see annual exhibition.

"This alliance will deliver the broadest array of metalforming, fabricating, cutting and joining technologies for manufacturing," said Mark Tomlinson, SME executive director. "Manufacturers need comprehensive exposure to every one of these technologies to compete in the global marketplace, and now they only have to go to one show to find them."

Gerald M. Shankel, FMA president and CEO said, "This is a good move for the industry. The METALFORM exhibition, with its focus on metal stamping and related technologies brings in-depth metalforming technology together with the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show's unparalleled showcase of fabricating machinery, tube & pipe, welding and cutting technologies, and will offer a first-rate venue."

"AWS is pleased that METALFORM will join with the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show," said Ray Shook, AWS executive director. "Metalforming companies are major customers of the welding and cutting industries. We're confident this alliance will add significant value for both exhibitors and attendees."

William Gaskin, PMA president, said, "The combination of PMA's METALFORM event with the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show joins the leading exhibitions in each of the core manufacturing technology areas and also brings together four leading manufacturing trade associations and societies to better serve their respective industries."

Combining these shows creates unique opportunities for networking, interaction and learning that won't exist at any other industry event.  In addition to the expanded show floor, FABTECH International, AWS and PMA will also conduct independent, but complementary, professional conferences and technical education programs during the 2009 show.

In 2010, the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show and METALFORM event will be held November 2-4 in Atlanta, GA.

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education.  Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Visit www.sme.org.

The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International, headquartered in Rockford, IL, is a nonprofit association dedicated to the professional development of metalforming and fabricating professionals and the companies that employ them.  FMA brings the industry together through networking sessions, educational programs, trade publications, volunteer opportunities, and award programs and provides the tools and resources needed by companies to improve operations. Visit www.fmanet.org.

The American Welding Society is the largest organization in the world dedicated to advancing the science, technology, and application of welding and allied processes including joining, brazing, soldering, cutting and thermal spray.  Headquartered in Miami, FL, AWS serves almost 53,000 members in the United States and around the world.  For additional information on AWS programs and publications, visit www.aws.org.

PMA is the full-service trade association representing the $91-billion metalforming industry of North America-the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating and other value-added processes.  Its nearly 1200 member companies include metal stampers, fabricators, spinners, slide formers and roll formers as well as suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry.  Members are located in 30 countries, with the majority found in North America-in 41 states of the United States as well as Canada and Mexico.  Visit www.pma.org.