As the largest trade show of its kind in North America, Adhesives & Bonding Expo offers opportunities for learning, networking, and getting business done. It is free to attend and runs from June 24 to 26 at the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi, Michigan. Register in just two minutes at https://www.adhesivesandbondingexpo.com/register?utm_source=focus&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=article.
Adhesives & Bonding Expo grew out of another trade show called Foam Expo, which has been held in Michigan since 2017. “We were seeing a significant amount of industrial adhesives manufacturers participating at the [Foam Expo] show,” recalls Tom Rhodes, Portfolio Director of foam and adhesives at Informa Markets, event organizers. “We wanted to be able to give that part of our audience its own space, its own identify,” he shares.
A decision was made to spin off a separate Adhesives & Bonding Expo, with the first show taking place in 2021 in the same hall as Foam Expo. Having a separate adhesives event “makes it much easier to deliver content and makes it easier for attendees to source material,” adds Rhodes.
Of course, adhesives and foam both feature prominently in many of the same industries, including automotive and aerospace. Within these sectors, adhesives are used to create strong bonds and enhance sustainability. Adhesives are also key when it comes to lightweighting, the practice of using parts and components—particularly in cars and planes—that weigh less than their conventional counterparts to extend range and decrease fuel consumption.
Adhesives are also used in medical applications such as wound care and with diagnostic equipment and surgical devices. Adhesives help bond military-related armor and equipment, secure bonds in packaging, augment structural integrity in construction projects, and are central in many manufacturing applications.
Visitors to Adhesives & Bonding Expo will also have the opportunity to check out Foam Expo. Anyone with a free pass can attend both events.
“Although we do have two separate audience development campaigns for adhesives and foam, we find there’s a very strong crossover. Most of the attendees do join both Foam Expo and Adhesives & Bonding Expo,” states James Mackintosh, Event Director of foam and adhesives at Informa Markets, who notes that having co-located events “offers better and wider access to more under one roof.”
Companies representing all segments of the adhesives and bonding supply chain, from raw materials and chemicals to adhesive tape manufacturing, testing and quality control, surface treatment, and coating, are welcome to attend, exhibit, or offer presentations. In a similar fashion, organizers are not focusing on any single end-user market; the event will be of interest to people working in automotive, aerospace, packaging, construction, leisure, sports, and more. 2024’s Expo drew teams from Ford Motor Company, Hyundai-Kia America, Honeywell, Lear Corporation, Siemens, Toyota, and other big-name firms.
In addition to meeting potential clients, visitors can get updates on technical, manufacturing, and economic trends impacting the industry. Attendees can chat with top manufacturing engineers and product development officials, learn new ways to minimize waste and maximize productivity, and view the latest and greatest tech solutions. There will be an Industry Stage and a Solutions Stage at the free conference running alongside the expo, featuring over 60 speakers between them, and these stages will also serve as platforms for roughly 20 information sessions.
Industry Stage speakers will focus on topics relating to “the industry of tomorrow,” says Mackintosh. Presenters at the Solutions Stage, meanwhile, will offer “product-based, solution-based, technology-based content that is in high demand amongst our audience.”
For exhibitors, sponsors, and industry pundits, the Solutions Stage offers “an opportunity to talk about product development, talk about technology they feel is changing the way things are done. Ultimately, it provides a strong commercial visibility and awareness opportunity,” he adds.
This year’s speaker lineup will include JSP, EWI, Loctite, Victoria’s Secret & Co, Nouryon, Boeing, Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, DOW, and H.B. Fuller. Over 150 exhibitors are expected at this year’s show, while more than 260 exhibitors will take part in the larger Foam Expo. “Between now and the events… we expect to be comfortably over the 400 mark,” says Rhodes. The organizers forecast that, based on previous tallies, 5,300 people will visit both expos over their three-day span.
Sustainability is a major driving force at both the adhesives and foam shows, with exhibitors making an effort to highlight greener products. Such eco-friendly adhesives often have reduced plastic content, lightweighting capabilities, and other environmentally sound attributes, and organizers point to exhibitors such as Neptune Nanotechnologies as part of the move toward sustainability.
One of the more unique companies set to exhibit at Adhesives & Bonding Expo, this firm is based in Markham, Ontario. Neptune has developed a leading-edge bio-based additive that can used in pulp and paper packaging and epoxies. This additive is derived from chitin nanocrystals and the shells of crustaceans. “It’s different and very innovative,” says Mackintosh, of Neptune Nanotechnologies eco-friendly offerings.
Another exhibitor from the state of Georgia, Follmann, Inc., wants to be positioned “at the forefront of sustainable adhesive solutions,” in the company’s own words. The United Soybean Board from Michigan, meanwhile, will be hosting an exhibit touting the merits of using soy-based chemicals for polyurethane and adhesive applications. Renewable, sustainable, and performance-enhancing soy compounds are being used by several major companies including Lear and Ford, according to the Soybean Board.
Indeed, the industry is looking “at more bio-based materials that are going back into the manufacturing process [in response to] end-users wanting to have more environmentally friendly products. It’s a challenge but a challenge the industry is willing to take on and is adapting well to. We’re seeing some amazing innovation come through,” notes Rhodes.
While attendees can select from a range of speakers and exhibitor booths, there will also be plenty of fun activities. Day one of the event, for example, promises refreshments, casino tables, and networking opportunities after a busy day of getting business done. Attendees can also patronize Foam Expo’s Comfort Lounge, which offers a variety of products and pieces of cozy furniture stuffed with comfort foam—a sub-sector of the wide-ranging foam industry. The Comfort Lounge “is a comfy area for attendees to network and chill out and relax while learning about comfort innovation,” explains Mackintosh.
Expo organizers have also partnered with Visit Detroit, an economic development agency, to highlight places of interest around the legendary Motor City. Staff from Visit Detroit will occupy a desk at the expos, offering insights into restaurants, pubs, and places to visit. Many people who attend the expos like to set up meetings outside the conference location, and information from Visit Detroit can point them to the perfect eatery or getaway spot to meet with clients.
Attendees of previous expos offer high praise for the events. Nearly 100 percent of visitors surveyed last year said they gained important connections at the shows. Over 75 percent of survey respondents rated the expos at eight out of ten or higher, while nearly the same number agreed or strongly agreed that the events offered better connections than one year of LinkedIn.
When it comes to Adhesives & Bonding Expo alone, industry leaders offer fulsome praise. “I wholeheartedly recommend Adhesives & Bonding Expo,” Dugan Kemple, Engineering Sales Representative at Ellsworth Adhesives, told expo organizers. “Everybody under the sun who works with adhesives or is looking for bonding solutions is going to be at this show. You need to be here.”
“It’s a great way to check out the innovations and see what the trends and focus will be over the next three to four years,” echoed Mark Ecker, Industrial Sales Manager at Huntsman Advanced Materials, a chemical manufacturer. “I would definitely recommend the event to anyone in the industry.”
“Last year, we presented on the Solutions Stage about predictive models. One audience member asked numerous insightful questions, leading to discussions after the talk. This evolved into exploring products his company needed, and we started a project!” added Jeffrey Goad, Senior Vice President at Rubberlite, a West Virginia-based market leader in the conversion of plastic products and cellular rubber.
To be sure, Adhesives & Bonding Expo 2025 promises to be a major highlight for anyone working in the sector and an advantage for companies looking to expand their market reach. Says Rhodes, “It’s all about trying to cultivate as many business opportunities as possible throughout the three days.”
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this growing community in 2025; register for free today at https://www.adhesivesandbondingexpo.com/register?utm_source=focus&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=article.
