IMTS After Hours: Your Unofficial Guide to IMTS 2026 featuring Jim Mayer and Emily Wilkins

0:00IMTS 2026 after hours. You know IMTS is the biggest manufacturing show in the Western Hemisphere. But today we're going to talk about all the big things that take place after the trade show floor closes. Welcome to Manufacturing Happy Hour, the podcast where we get real about the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers.

0:30Each week, we interview industry experts that are at the top of their craft and give you the tools, tactics, and strategies you need to take your career and your business to the next level. And now, your host, Chris Lukey. Alright folks, we got a special bonus episode for you today. I know many folks in the manufacturing industry and listeners of this podcast are getting ready to head to IMTS 2026. And we've already released an episode covering some things to expect at the show here in 2026. But today's episode is all the things you can expect after the show. Many of the best connections take place at after hours events.

1:13And today's episode is a little preview of what some of those parties look like. I'm joined by Emily Wilkins of Marketing Metal and Jim Mayer of the Manufacturing Connector, both alumni of Manufacturing Happy Hour, as we recap some of our favorite stories from IMTSs of the past, as well as what we're looking forward to this year. If you want to attend any of these events, make sure to connect with us on LinkedIn. We'll give you the lowdown. I will say my biggest event at Manufacturing Happy Hour is a co-hosted event, Extra Innings. I know a number of you are probably familiar with them. It's the trade show after party series that we co-host with Jake Hall.

1:52We're throwing a big party on Tuesday, September 15th. If you would like to register for that, go to mfgchamps.com. That's short for Manufacturing Champions. Again, MFG Champs to register. All right, let's jump into it. We got a fun quick episode. Let's meet up with Jim and Emily.

2:18IMTS After Hours. I feel like manufacturing happy hour is the most appropriate spot to have an IMTS After Hours conversation. And for the folks listening out there today, I'm excited to bring back two past guests of the podcast. If you're in the manufacturing world, there's a good chance you know these folks, Jim Mayer and Emily Wilkins. For those that might not know you, though, let's jump in with some quick intros. Emily, describe what you do at Marketing Metal as if you're having a beer with someone. So my company helps small manufacturing shops tell their story better. We build their brands and help them really nail their messaging and positioning so that they can attract the right types of customers and talent.

3:09Awesome. And Jim, you do a few things out here, so I'm not going to name one specifically, but actually that's a lie. Manufacturing Connector, Manufacturing Culture Podcast. But how do you describe those as if we're hanging out at Wren House Brewing in Phoenix, for example? Man, I just got some new cans of Rennhouse, so I'm glad you brought that up. I have earned and paid media. And what I do is I focus on the human side of manufacturing. And I've found that putting a camera in front of somebody helps improve employee engagement, builds culture, improves productivity. So I'm not an agency. Neither is Emily.

3:54but I'm not, I just, I help tell stories from a cultural standpoint instead of a marketing or branding standpoint. Yeah, no, it's funny. We're, none of us are agencies as you were just highlighting Jim, but in the manufacturing world, in our own unique ways, we help manufacturers better tell their stories, which is what today's episode is kind of about because there's a lot to at IMTS 2026. We know a lot of folks are showing up to check out the latest technology, look for the newest machine that they're going to install in their shop, look for ways of tying islands of automation together. I mean, you name it, right?

4:36But today's episode is about everything else that takes place about IMTS. And that's the after hours. That's the connection. You know, Jim, you and I are both hosting events out there. We'll get to that in a second. But since we've highlighted so much around storytelling here at the start, let's each jump in with one of our favorite stories from an IMTS of the past. And this isn't my story, but I'll kick it off with Emily. That's where you and I met in 2022, four years ago, before I had really taken my business to the next level or taken it full time for that matter. I hadn't done that yet. And back then, a manufacturing happy hour party looked like kind of an informal meetup on the rooftop of Reggie's iconic bar just steps away from the McCormick Center where the event takes place.

5:30But more more to come on that. But, you know, that's that's just one example of where connections were made. And look at this four years later, right before IMTS 2026. Here we are on a podcast talking about the latest and greatest in parties, after hours and all of the above at this point. So, Emily, I'm going to pass it back to you. What's one of your favorite stories from IMTS of old? so yeah i after you made that post i was trying to remember when was the actual first time we met and it was at reggie's but it was not that it was not the rooftop it was you and megan and i met up for like drinks and snacks um right the first day that i got there so and because i knew megan already we had met in person at ame that year i think um and am ame being a niche manufacturing show in western michigan in grand rapids grand rapids yeah yeah so that was our first time that we met and then um and then you had the happy hour in chinatown which was so fun that that place was so cool like just the vibe the atmosphere the like stars on the ceiling and the the drink names were all like fun astro whatever astrophysics things and um yeah that was a that was a fun time there We got so many, so many great memories.

6:53So happy hour hopping and spending a lot of time at Reggie's. That's not the last story. A lot of times at Reggie's, yeah. Yeah, it's not the last story that's going to involve Reggie's. I should clarify this podcast is not sponsored by Reggie's in any capacity. But if you haven't been, it's a total divy bar. They have a concert venue next door. Jim. We're not happy until you're not happy. We're not happy until you're not happy is their slogan. and it's literally about five blocks from McCormick. So will we be having a drink at Reggie's at some point? Of course, always do. So Jim, what about yourself?

7:27When was the first time you went to IMTS? My first IMTS was 2018. So although I've been in the industry for like 26 years, the first 18 years I was sales in Arizona. Like I was a sales manager. I was a salesperson. I went to West Tech in California all the time, but I had never gotten an opportunity. I was never tapped to be part of the team that went to IMTS. I heard about it, saw it on social media, although my LinkedIn was a lot smaller then. But my first IMTS was 2018. I was working for the NTMA, National Tooling and Machining Association. And my job at that show was to take our members to our associate member booths.

8:21So the associate members for the NTMA were the Big Kaisers, the Kenna Metals, those kinds of booths. FANUC, I'm leaving out a ton. So don't at me on social media about this. Um, but my favorite memory was at spin Chicago. It was the allied tool and machining, uh, after hours event at spin Chicago, which is a ping pong social club. Uh, for those of you not familiar with, uh, spin and they had a giant copper bathtub filled with orange ping pong balls. and without asking permission, I jumped into this thing in a suit and, uh, picture for so long. That's my, that's my LinkedIn photo. Is that still your LinkedIn photo?

9:18I haven't looked recently. I just, I guess I just default to assuming that's what it is. So yeah, that is still my personal photo, a photo of him in a sea of ping pong balls. Yep. But that's when I learned something that then translated into where we are now is IMTS is great. Like the technology is amazing. You can walk the floor and be sore and your feet hurt and all of that stuff. But the most quality conversations I have come after the show closes. And sometimes after the show closes in a booth and somebody is having a private happy hour, right? Big Kaiser used to have a double decker booth.

9:59And so I could go upstairs and have a cocktail or a glass of wine with Chris and his team up there after hours. But my favorite part of any of these shows are these evening events, the after-hour stuff. I've just learned that I have to put a curfew on myself or else I don't feel well the next day. Yeah, my age has kind of self-implemented that for me a little bit. I don't get the same joy of staying out till 1 or 2 a.m., slugging down old style. uh don't get me wrong we'll have an old style earlier probably at reggie's uh as well but yes excellent point and i knew that was going to turn into a theme of this conversation right a big part of showing up to imts is not just showing up and walking the show floor but sticking around to see what other serendipitous conversations relationships happen at the parties at the bar etc so when was yours?

11:00What was your first IMTS? Mine would have been 2022. Yeah. I really, I, and it's funny, right? As someone that worked in the automation world for a company right up the road for a long time, you know, I think this is also a testament to how IMTS has evolved it for the longest time. It was like a machine shop show. It was for, uh, you know, CNC job shops, et cetera. And there's still definitely a huge part of that, but it's also evolved into being more of an automation show. It's been cool to see that involvement. So I feel like when I started going was when my side of the manufacturing industry started to get a little more involved in it.

11:38So that's a little aside of how things have evolved. I will say maybe this is the last time we shout out Reggie's, but last time IMTS 2024 came around, we experimented with throwing a concert. We threw a 90s and emo night at Reggie's like a proper diving. It was, it was incredible. And yeah, you get, for those watching the video, Emily and Jim both just threw up the rock hands. It was a great time. Yeah. We did that Thursday night as we were getting into a bit of the twilight of IMTS. One funny thing about this year is it's the same week slash weekend as riot fest, which is a big Chicago punk rock festival.

12:22So they had all the first dibs on the concert venues and there wasn't a lot of point in me trying to compete with those this year so while there isn't a concert taking place this year i am throwing a party with jake hall manufacturing millennial i know a lot of our listeners know who he is we're throwing an extra innings but we it's our it's our series for after parties at conferences we're doing that on tuesday night from 7 to 10 p.m at kaiser tiger which This is not hyperbolic. Kaiser Tiger is my favorite bar in Chicago's West Loop. It has giant beer garden, great indoor section, awesome house-made sausages as well.

13:05Great beer list. They do not mess around there. So for folks listening, as we get into the second half of this conversation, we're talking about, hey, what can people look forward to at IMTS 2026 in the after hours? Well, extra innings from 7 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, September 15th is one of Tuesday. Tuesday. Did I say what did I say? It's Thursday. Yeah, definitely Tuesday. Tuesday. Had the day right, had the day wrong. So that's on my list. Jim, this is a bit of a softball for you. What do we got going on on Wednesday night? My other favorite party from 2024. It was Chris's emo party and Jim's manufacturing mic drop.

13:55Emily, before we get into this year's manufacturing mic drop on Wednesday, what happened at the 2024 manufacturing mic drop? uh oh we had a blast i i sing i sing the darkness i believe in a thing called love crushed it i think i crushed it i have a song teed up for this year i'm pretty excited about it chris came in with his uh angel in the centerfold and the part or uh fight for your right yeah and i will never forget him jumping off of the stage uh during that song like he jumped off and then took off with his microphone into the east room of brando's the other room the other room uh the lounge room right and all of a sudden he comes running back like he had energy that i haven't seen at a karaoke bar in a long time so i i was i was impressed man i do recall this i do recall jumping off stage and running into the other room the real reason that I ran back so quickly was even though I know the song fight for your right to party, one of my go to karaoke songs like the back of my hand, I started to forget the lyrics.

15:14So I needed to run back into the like proper karaoke room to access said lyrics. So for those that haven't picked up on it yet, the manufacturing mic drop is a karaoke party. It's a late night party, not too late. Right. But we were that was definitely one of those nights where we were out past our bedtime, hanging out in the karaoke bar, out back on the patio. Jim, tell us what the manufacturing mic drop is in its simplest terms and when we can expect it here in 2026. Yeah. So like you alluded to, Chris, it's Wednesday, September 16th from eight to midnight. I purposely did eight to midnight because two years ago, Chris had an earlier event on the evening I was throwing and I said, well, I've got this venue for this night.

16:08What if I just move it back? He goes, that'd be a great idea. So now it's a late night destination for all of you guys who take out your teams for dinners, or you go to customer dinners, whatever that may look like go to other happy hours earlier in the evening come have a nightcap sing your ass off uh it's at brando's speakeasy which is right in the loop on dearborn street um it's it's a blast it's uh we've got uh a special cocktail this year uh we've got a a named cocktail uh which is a version of an old fashioned. So it's going to be really, uh, it's a whole different, uh, it's to the next level that it was, uh, two years ago.

16:56I learned a lot, made a shit ton of mistakes. Pardon me. I don't know if I can cuss on your show. This is the after hours podcast, Jim. Okay, cool. All right. Um, I made a ton of mistakes and so I've learned from all those and looking forward to an awesome party this year. Brando's has suggested I start looking for another venue for 28 because we are, as of today, sold out two weeks early. We have zero tickets available. So I don't know. I don't know if I want to lose the vibe by going someplace else. That's pretty cool. But we'll see what happens in 28. It's definitely something people are craving.

17:42No shame in hosting a sold out karaoke event. Can I ask as we get close to the event, will there be a few tickets that open up as some people start to bail out or inevitably flake out on showing up? Because one thing we know about an event like IMTS is everyone's going to have three to four parties on their plate and they're only going to be able to make it to, let's say, two of them in a given day. Yeah. So we will. I did keep a couple of tickets reserved. The sponsors also have blocks of tickets based on their sponsorship. So there are tickets available through other avenues, which I have been sending people who have been DMing me on, on socials.

18:28But get your tickets, man, if, or you're going to just be waiting out on the sidewalk. I am working right now to have a food truck come by to entertain those of you who may not be able to make it into the venue so that you have some food while you wait to come sing. Smart. Food is appreciated. Late night drinks need late night food. Yes. Excellent point. This is a great opportunity on some advice we can give the audience on how to pace themselves during IMTS as well. I just alluded to it a second ago, but I would highly recommend folks pick like two spots to go on a given night and not try to cram too much into one.

19:18Otherwise, you're just showing up, high-fiving, and catching the train or an Uber to the next one. So, hey, definitely recommend prioritizing. I'm not going to discourage people from staying out late. I'm going to stay out late certain nights, but get that sleep as well, because that definitely caught up to me by the time Thursday night rolled around and the concert was coming up. And somehow or another, I got on stage to sing one of the songs and my voice was shot. So if you find yourself on stage at Reggie's, make sure you've gotten yourself enough sleep leading up to that point so you can perform when the moment comes.

19:59I was going to say, too, I definitely remember you and I crying together on the sidewalk at some point of that night. I don't recall crying, per se, but I do recall being tired and happy. But maybe, I mean, I did. I had it was an emo night. I did have the black tear makeup on my eyes. Maybe that's what you were thinking of, Emily. But I have tears. You were very grateful. It's like, oh, my God, this is happening. Yeah, you were very grateful. You like the joy that I saw on your face at night. Like I've been to your happy hour, your extra innings events. Right. Before they were technically extra innings.

20:43I would go to your happy hours, your group get togethers that you would have once I knew you and start. But the joy that I saw on your face the night that you threw that concert, man, was unlike anything that I have seen from you, like emotion wise. Like you were just so happy. You were in your element. It was you. You were vulnerable. It was it was really cool, man. It was it was cool. I mean, as you said, Jim, that was a brand new event we had never done before and we had given it a shot. So, hey, as we get to the end of our conversation today, one thing I will share is that there are other events taking place.

21:29You know, we mentioned Riot Fest is going on. Hey, if you're still around IMTS on Thursday and Friday night, catch a Riot Fest after show. I know Tuesday night my buddies at Harmony are throwing a pizza party just down the block from Kaiser Tiger where we'll be obviously throwing extra innings. We've been telling people if I said Thursday again, I meant Tuesday night, Tuesday, Tuesday, September 15th. That's when extra innings is. I'm going to post links and encourage listeners when they see this posted on LinkedIn to share their events in the comments as well. Are there other events that are going on that we should give a shout out to that other people are hosting?

22:05Jim, any come to mind that are open invite events people should be aware of? Well, personally, I'm going to the WNBA. I'm going to go see the Chicago Sky Play on Thursday night. They're hosting, I believe, the Portland Fire right there by McCormick Place. Yeah, Wintrust Arena, literally two blocks from the convention center. So I'm going to that Thursday night. I'm a massive WNBA fan. And this is like, I've seen them play here. Both teams play here in Phoenix against the Mercury. So it'll be nice to experience another arena and see some good basketball. Awesome. Emily, what's one final thing on your agenda for IMTS 2026?

22:53but there's a there's a pro shop master cam happy hour right is that the monday night event am i making that up no it's wednesday and it's at reggie's oh really all right there we go um it's before it's six to eight so got it got it doesn't sound like a late night 90s or emo night to me in that case but a good party with a great venue nonetheless less. Yeah. And then there is, I'll have to, I'm blanking on the company, but there's a Monday night football happy hour event Monday evening that is on my calendar, but it just says Monday night happy hour event. So I don't know whose it is. If you're listening this, you can at me at and say, Hey, at Jim Mare, it's these people and let me know.

23:44So I don't go to the wrong place. awesome well i'm gonna include links when i share this on social below it to the respective parties that are there hunt down your tickets for wednesday night through jim's sponsors to get your last minute tickets to the mic drop we will still have tickets available to tuesday tuesday tuesday night's extra innings party at kaiser tiger it's gonna be a great week with that hey Jim, Emily, thanks so much for jumping on Manufacturing Happy Hour. And I'll see you at IMTS. See you there, man. Everyone out there, we'll see you at IMTS in Chicago, September 14th through 19th, 2026.

24:26Cheers.

24:32Hey, everyone. Thanks for tuning in today. I sincerely hope we get to hang out with a ton of you at IMTS 2026 or in and around Chicago after the trade show floor closes for the day. If you'd like to connect with any of us, make sure to go to the show notes page at manufacturinghappyhour.com. And of course, if you want to attend any of our events, you can ask us there or for my event on Tuesday, extra innings with the manufacturing millennial Jake Hall co-hosting an awesome event at Kaiser Tiger, one of my favorite bars in Chicago. Hey, go to MFG champs dot com and sign up today with that. Stay innovative, stay thirsty, and we will see you in Chicago at IMTS 2026.

25:22Thanks for listening to Manufacturing Happy Hour. Powered by the Industrial Network.