Events

Master Class Series

Master Class Series

The MLC Master Class Series offers insights to help you move forward on your journey to manufacturingโ€™s digital era.
Learn More Master Class Series
Plant Tours

Plant Tours

Get an up-close look at leading manufacturing operations while networking with like-minded peers and finding solutions to your own challenges.
Learn More Plant Tours
Future of Manufacturing Project

Future of Manufacturing Project

Ever since the Manufacturing Leadership Councilโ€™s earliest beginnings, it challenged manufacturers to โ€œimagine a better future.โ€ Now the council…
Learn More Future of Manufacturing Project

Rethink | June 27-30

Rethink: Accelerating Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
No matter where you are on the digital manufacturing journey, Rethink is a must-attend event to learn aspirational best practices, discover real-world case studies, and network with other leaders who are guiding the way to Manufacturing 4.0.

June 27-30, 2027 | Scottsdale, AZ

Plant Tour – United Scrap Metal

Join the Manufacturing Leadership Council at United Scrap Metal on August 12-13 in Cicero, IL, to learn about the complexities of a large-scale recycling operation that serves manufacturing, energy, construction, and demolition sectors.

Upcoming Events

01
October 2026
Virtual Event

Four Days To Delivery: Inside Protolabs Automation Capabilities Expansion

Critical Issues Member Forum Call โ€“ New Product & Business Model Innovation Abstract Investment in aerospace and defense accelerated the product development timeline. Protolabsโ€™ quick-turn machining capabilities needed to evolve with the industry now needing more complex parts in shorter…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Chris McCall, Senior Global Product Manager, Protolabs
  • Amanda Deegan, Logistics Manager, Protolabs
Four Days To Delivery: Inside Protolabs Automation Capabilities Expansion
07–08
October 2026
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Boulder, Colorado

Emerson Plant Tour

Experience automation innovation in action with an exclusive Manufacturing Leadership Council tour of Emersonโ€™s state-of-the-art Boulder, Colorado factory.

Emerson Plant Tour
15
October 2026
Virtual Event

Connecting Dimensions of Change:ย Data, Process Design, and Cultural Alignment

Critical Issues Member Forum Call โ€“ Leadership, Organization, Culture and People Abstract Transformation is no longer about implementing one new technology or launching one improvement initiative. It’s about building a connected system that accelerates innovation, improves performance, and creates new…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • John Blount, President and CEO, Pure & Gentle, Inc.
  • Darin Klaehn, Vice President for Product Development, Pure & Gentle, Inc.
Connecting Dimensions of Change:ย Data, Process Design, and Cultural Alignment
15
October 2026
Virtual Event

Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A

Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Info Session + Q&A โ€“ Manufacturers Session Want to know more about the Manufacturing Leadership Awards? Join us for an upcoming info session + Q&A to learn more! The information covered in this session will be tailored…

THURSDAY 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A
22
October 2026
Virtual Event

CooperSurgicalโ€™s Digital Integration Journey

Smart Factories and Digital Production Critical Issues Member Forum Abstract How do you create value and implement PLM in just 18 months with a limited budget? A finalist in the 2026 Manufacturing Leadership Awards for Enterprise Integration and Technology, CooperSurgical…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Michelle Taub, Director, Product/Lab Systems, CooperSurgical
  • Jeff Puma, Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
CooperSurgicalโ€™s Digital Integration Journey
30
October 2026
Virtual Event

Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A

Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Info Session + Q&A Want to know more about the Manufacturing Leadership Awards? Join us for an upcoming info session + Q&A to learn more! The information covered in this session will be tailored to manufacturers who…

FRIDAY 10:00 am – 10:30 am
Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A
04–05
November 2026
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Fort Worth, Texas

Siemens Plant Tour

Registration Now Open! If you have any questions about this or another upcoming plant tour, please email [email protected].

Siemens Plant Tour
05
November 2026
Virtual Event

Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Technology and Consulting Partners Informational Session + Q&A

Want to know more about how you can nominate your manufacturing clients for the Manufacturing Leadership Awards? Join us for an upcoming info session + Q&A to learn more! This info session is a dedicated discussion for technology and consulting…

THURSDAY 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Technology and Consulting Partners Informational Session + Q&A
12
November 2026
Virtual Event

Award-Winning Innovation at General Motors: Scaling Industrial AI with Device-Level Analyticsย 

Critical Issues Member Forum Call – Industrial AI Abstract General Motors, the 2026 Manufacturing Leadership Awards Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year, also received top honors in the Enterprise Integration & Technology category for its award-winning project, โ€ฏDevice-Level Analytics to…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Mahsa Moussavi, Staff Scientist, Manufacturing Device Collection Engineering, General Motors
  • Matthew DeMott, Staff Data Engineer, Manufacturing Cloud Engineering, General Motors
Award-Winning Innovation at General Motors: Scaling Industrial AI with Device-Level Analyticsย 
01–02
December 2026
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Orlando, Florida

The Future of Manufacturing Project: Emerging Technologies in Manufacturing

See emerging technologies in action, learn how manufacturers are applying them to real operational changes, and gain practical insights for evaluating, piloting and scaling new solutions.

The Future of Manufacturing Project: Emerging Technologies in Manufacturing
08–12
March 2027
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Evanston, Illinois

Digital Transformation Leadership Program

For interest or questions about this program, please emailย [email protected].

Digital Transformation Leadership Program
27–30
June 2027
Multi-Day · In-Person Event

Rethink 2027

Rethink 2027

Past Events

01
October 2026
Virtual Event

Four Days To Delivery: Inside Protolabs Automation Capabilities Expansion

Critical Issues Member Forum Call โ€“ New Product & Business Model Innovation Abstract Investment in aerospace and defense accelerated the product development timeline. Protolabsโ€™ quick-turn machining capabilities needed to evolve with the industry now needing more complex parts in shorter…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Chris McCall, Senior Global Product Manager, Protolabs
  • Amanda Deegan, Logistics Manager, Protolabs
Four Days To Delivery: Inside Protolabs Automation Capabilities Expansion
07–08
October 2026
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Boulder, Colorado

Emerson Plant Tour

Experience automation innovation in action with an exclusive Manufacturing Leadership Council tour of Emersonโ€™s state-of-the-art Boulder, Colorado factory.

Emerson Plant Tour
15
October 2026
Virtual Event

Connecting Dimensions of Change:ย Data, Process Design, and Cultural Alignment

Critical Issues Member Forum Call โ€“ Leadership, Organization, Culture and People Abstract Transformation is no longer about implementing one new technology or launching one improvement initiative. It’s about building a connected system that accelerates innovation, improves performance, and creates new…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • John Blount, President and CEO, Pure & Gentle, Inc.
  • Darin Klaehn, Vice President for Product Development, Pure & Gentle, Inc.
Connecting Dimensions of Change:ย Data, Process Design, and Cultural Alignment
15
October 2026
Virtual Event

Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A

Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Info Session + Q&A โ€“ Manufacturers Session Want to know more about the Manufacturing Leadership Awards? Join us for an upcoming info session + Q&A to learn more! The information covered in this session will be tailored…

THURSDAY 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A
22
October 2026
Virtual Event

CooperSurgicalโ€™s Digital Integration Journey

Smart Factories and Digital Production Critical Issues Member Forum Abstract How do you create value and implement PLM in just 18 months with a limited budget? A finalist in the 2026 Manufacturing Leadership Awards for Enterprise Integration and Technology, CooperSurgical…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Michelle Taub, Director, Product/Lab Systems, CooperSurgical
  • Jeff Puma, Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
CooperSurgicalโ€™s Digital Integration Journey
30
October 2026
Virtual Event

Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A

Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Info Session + Q&A Want to know more about the Manufacturing Leadership Awards? Join us for an upcoming info session + Q&A to learn more! The information covered in this session will be tailored to manufacturers who…

FRIDAY 10:00 am – 10:30 am
Manufacturing Leadership Awards 2027 Informational Session + Q&A
04–05
November 2026
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Fort Worth, Texas

Siemens Plant Tour

Registration Now Open! If you have any questions about this or another upcoming plant tour, please email [email protected].

Siemens Plant Tour
05
November 2026
Virtual Event

Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Technology and Consulting Partners Informational Session + Q&A

Want to know more about how you can nominate your manufacturing clients for the Manufacturing Leadership Awards? Join us for an upcoming info session + Q&A to learn more! This info session is a dedicated discussion for technology and consulting…

THURSDAY 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Manufacturing Leadership Awards: Technology and Consulting Partners Informational Session + Q&A
12
November 2026
Virtual Event

Award-Winning Innovation at General Motors: Scaling Industrial AI with Device-Level Analyticsย 

Critical Issues Member Forum Call – Industrial AI Abstract General Motors, the 2026 Manufacturing Leadership Awards Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year, also received top honors in the Enterprise Integration & Technology category for its award-winning project, โ€ฏDevice-Level Analytics to…

THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Mahsa Moussavi, Staff Scientist, Manufacturing Device Collection Engineering, General Motors
  • Matthew DeMott, Staff Data Engineer, Manufacturing Cloud Engineering, General Motors
Award-Winning Innovation at General Motors: Scaling Industrial AI with Device-Level Analyticsย 
01–02
December 2026
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Orlando, Florida

The Future of Manufacturing Project: Emerging Technologies in Manufacturing

See emerging technologies in action, learn how manufacturers are applying them to real operational changes, and gain practical insights for evaluating, piloting and scaling new solutions.

The Future of Manufacturing Project: Emerging Technologies in Manufacturing
08–12
March 2027
Multi-Day · In-Person Event | Evanston, Illinois

Digital Transformation Leadership Program

For interest or questions about this program, please emailย [email protected].

Digital Transformation Leadership Program
27–30
June 2027
Multi-Day · In-Person Event

Rethink 2027

Rethink 2027
23
September 2026
Past Event

Digital Transformation Leadership Program: Info Session + Q&A

Digital Transformation Leadership Program: Info Session + Q&A Abstract Join us to learn more about the Digital Transformation Leadership Program, MLCโ€™s premier executive digital leadership course for manufacturers in partnership with Northwestern Universityโ€™s Kellogg School of Management. Designed to meet…

WEDNESDAY 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Melissa Robertson, Associate Director, Professional Development, Manufacturing Leadership Council
Digital Transformation Leadership Program: Info Session + Q&A
16
September 2026
Past Event

From Complexity to Clarity: Connecting the Digital Thread for Manufacturing Growth

Master Class Session Description As digital maturity grows, a new challenge is emerging: complexity. Technology has made mass customization possible, but disconnected systems, siloed teams and fragmented processes can keep success out of reach. As manufacturers push further into automation,…

WEDNESDAY 11:00 am
Featured Speakers:
  • Nils Olsson, Chief Strategy Officer, Tacton
  • Penelope Brown, Senior Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
From Complexity to Clarity: Connecting the Digital Thread for Manufacturing Growth
09
September 2026
Past Event

Scale Expertise Across Every Worker, Shift and Site

Tech Talk As experienced workers retire and workforce turnover continues, manufacturers face a growing challenge: how to reverse the loss of critical organizational knowledge before it impacts safety, quality, productivity and workforce readiness. Leading manufacturers are moving beyond static documentation…

WEDNESDAY 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Jerry Dolinsky, Chief Executive Officer, Dozuki
  • Allen Yeung, Vice President, Product, Dozuki
  • Penelope Brown, Senior Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
Scale Expertise Across Every Worker, Shift and Site
02
September 2026
Past Event

Manufacturingโ€™s Road Ahead: What MLC Data Revealsโ€”and Leaders Need to Know

Master Class Session Description Manufacturers continue to invest in smart factories and rapidly adopt generative AI, yet significant gaps remain in data quality, governance, workforce skills, change management and execution. Just 17% believe their operational leadership teams are fully prepared…

WEDNESDAY 2:00 pm
Featured Speakers:
  • Penelope Brown, Senior Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
  • Jeff Puma, Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
Manufacturingโ€™s Road Ahead: What MLC Data Revealsโ€”and Leaders Need to Know