Formnext 2023
- Date
- 2023-11-07
- Location
- Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Host
- Formnext
About this event
Formnext 2023 is where the global advanced manufacturing world comes to take stock of what is real, what is next, and who is shaping it. With record-setting attendance in its ninth edition, the event brings together a serious concentration of specialists, exhibitors, and decision-makers under one roof at Messe Frankfurt. If you work in additive manufacturing, industrial production, product development, or the broader manufacturing ecosystem, this is the kind of event that can sharpen your view of the market in a single visit. It is large enough to reveal industry direction, but focused enough to create meaningful conversations, practical discovery, and strong networking value. About the Event Formnext 2023 is an in-person industry gathering centered on advanced manufacturing, with a strong emphasis on innovation, business connections, and community. Set at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, it serves as a meeting point for professionals who want to see the latest developments, compare solutions, and connect directly with the people building and buying them. The scale matters here. The previous edition welcomed 32,851 specialists, with 50% international attendance, alongside 859 exhibitors, 59% of them international. That combination points to a truly global marketplace atmosphere: not just a regional trade show, but a major international venue for discovering technologies, evaluating partners, and understanding where the industry is moving. This is not a single-track conference experience. It is best understood as a broad, multi-layered event environment: exhibition floors, live conversations, product discovery, business meetings, and informal networking happening in parallel throughout the day. Whether you come to source, learn, benchmark, or build relationships, the format supports a range of goals. What to Expect Expect a high-energy in-person event built around exploration and interaction. The core experience is moving through a large exhibition setting, meeting exhibitors, seeing capabilities up close, and having direct conversations with manufacturers, technology providers, and fellow specialists across the advanced manufacturing landscape. Because Formnext operates at significant international scale, attendees can expect a wide variety of interactions, including: Conversations with exhibitors showcasing manufacturing solutions and capabilities Opportunities to network with specialists from across multiple countries and markets Informal meetups and social interactions with peers in the industry A strong community atmosphere for reconnecting with existing contacts and making new ones A broad view of current market activity, from emerging ideas to established industrial applications You should also expect a packed environment with a wide range of attendee goals. Some people will be there to evaluate vendors and technologies. Others will be looking for partnerships, business development opportunities, or simply a clearer picture of the competitive landscape. That makes the event especially useful if you value cross-functional exposure rather than highly narrow programming. For many attendees, the day will likely include a mix of structured and unstructured moments: time spent on the show floor, planned meetings, spontaneous introductions, and conversations that start casually and turn into something valuable. If you like events where discovery happens through movement, curiosity, and direct access to experts, this format delivers. Why Attend Formnext 2023 offers a practical shortcut to market understanding. Instead of piecing together industry signals from separate sources, you can walk into one venue and see a concentrated snapshot of the international advanced manufacturing ecosystem. That is useful whether you are tracking trends, validating a purchase decision, or trying to understand how peers are approaching similar challenges. It is also a strong networking event. The combination of community, meetup, social, and business-focused energy means this is not just about browsing booths. It is about being in the room with people who influence technical choices, production strategies, partnerships, and future opportunities. When a large share of both attendees and exhibitors are international, the quality of perspective tends to broaden quickly. Attendees may find value in areas like: Discovering relevant companies and solutions more efficiently than through online research alone Meeting international peers and expanding their professional network Comparing approaches across the advanced manufacturing sector in one place Building context around what technologies and capabilities are gaining traction Creating follow-up opportunities for partnerships, sourcing, or future collaboration There is also a less obvious benefit: clarity. Large industry events can help you separate signal from noise. Seeing how companies present themselves, how attendees respond, and where conversations cluster can tell you a great deal about momentum in the market. Practical Details Location: This is an in-person event at Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. As a major trade fair venue, it is well suited to a large-scale international event and likely to involve substantial walking, multiple exhibitor areas, and a busy show environment. Date and time: The event is listed for Tuesday, November 7 at 12:00 AM UTC. If you are traveling or coordinating with colleagues in other regions, it is worth confirming the local venue schedule and your own arrival plans in Frankfurt ahead of time. To get the most out of the event, it helps to arrive with a clear plan. Consider identifying the companies, categories, or types of conversations that matter most to you before you arrive. At an event of this size, even a simple shortlist can make your time significantly more productive. A few practical ways to prepare: Review your priorities before attending: sourcing, learning, networking, or partnership-building Leave enough time in your schedule for unplanned conversations Wear comfortable shoes and plan for a full day on your feet If you are attending with colleagues, divide coverage areas and compare notes afterward Be ready to follow up quickly after the event while conversations are still fresh Formnext 2023 is best approached as an active working event rather than a passive drop-in. Come prepared to ask questions, make introductions, and explore broadly. For the right attendee, it can be one of the most efficient ways to reconnect with the advanced manufacturing community and get a grounded sense of where the industry stands now.
Who should attend
If you want a clear view of where additive manufacturing and industrial production are heading, this is a strong place to be. - **You work in advanced manufacturing or production** and want to see how additive technologies are being applied in real industrial settings, not just discussed in theory. - **You evaluate equipment, materials, software, or workflows** and need to compare a wide range of exhibitors in one place. With hundreds of exhibitors and a highly international mix, Formnext gives you broad market visibility fast. - **You lead engineering, R&D, product development, or operations** and want practical ideas for improving speed, flexibility, or part performance across your manufacturing process. - **You’re building partnerships or looking for suppliers** and value being in a room with thousands of specialists from across the global manufacturing ecosystem. - **You want to benchmark your strategy against the market** by seeing what technologies, companies, and applications are drawing attention across the industry. - **You’re serious about the future of manufacturing** and want to spend time with people who are actively shaping it, from established industrial players to emerging innovators.