First time at IMTS? It's the biggest manufacturing show in the Western Hemisphere — 1.2M+ square feet, 2,000+ exhibitors, ~90,000 people over six days (September 14–19, 2026). It's a lot. A little planning turns it from overwhelming into the most productive few days of your year.
The playbook: register and load your badge before you arrive; book your hotel through official IMTS housing for the free shuttle; and plan your floor before you walk it — pick the machine classes and builders you actually need (our machine-type planner does this) and pin their booths in the IMTS app. Wear comfortable shoes; you will walk miles.
On the floor: watch machines cut live, ask for the spec sheet and current pricing, take photos of nameplates, and collect contacts — then follow up the week after while it's fresh. And if you're shopping to buy, anchor every new-machine quote against what the used version is worth before you commit.
| Before | Register + load badge · book official-housing hotel · plan must-see booths in the app. |
|---|---|
| On the floor | Comfortable shoes · watch live cuts · grab spec sheets + pricing · photograph nameplates · collect contacts. |
| After | Follow up within a week · compare quotes to used-market value before buying. |
Official show site: imts.com · Dates: September 14–19, 2026 · Venue: McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.
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