industrial machinery · Chicago
IMTS 2028Exhibitor guide for Chicago: booth costs, key dates, deadlines
Machines can fill 60% of an IMTS 2028 booth in Chicago; we design the other 40%
- Event dates
- September 11–16, 2028
- Exhibit hall
- Not confirmed yet
- Venue
- McCormick Place, Chicago
4.9 client rating3,000+ exhibitors10,000+ booths builtSince 2015
Quick answers
IMTS 2028 in 30 seconds
The short version for IMTS exhibitors. Each IMTS figure is sourced further down the page.
- When is IMTS 2028?
- September 11–16, 2028, at McCormick Place, Chicago.
- When is the hall open at IMTS?
- Not confirmed yet for 2028. In 2026 the exhibit halls were open all six show days, September 14–19.
- How big is IMTS?
- 91,295 attendees, 1,788 exhibitors (2026 edition).
- How much is booth space at IMTS?
- $29 per sq ft, ordered in 2026 for IMTS 2028, paid to the organizer.
- How much is a 10×20 booth at IMTS, all-in?
- $7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental at IMTS with design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. Space and show services are billed by IMTS.
- For IMTS, what is the next exhibitor deadline?
- Priority space deadline: application plus 10% deposit: October 30, 2026.
Official IMTS 2028 links: IMTS 2028 hotelsIMTS 2028 booth space
Everything about IMTS 2028 in one place
IMTS 2028 fact sheet
| Official name | IMTS 2028, the International Manufacturing Technology Show, produced by AMT, The Association For Manufacturing Technology |
|---|---|
| Event dates | September 11–16, 2028 |
| Exhibit hall dates | Not confirmed yet In 2026 the exhibit halls were open all six show days, September 14–19 |
| Venue | McCormick Place 2301 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60616 |
| Organizer | AMT, The Association For Manufacturing Technology |
| Size (2026) | 91,295 attendees · 1,788 exhibitors source |
| Who attends | Manufacturing, production and plant managers, manufacturing engineers, corporate executives, procurement, quality and R&D staff from job shops to OEMs |
| Next deadline | Priority space deadline: application plus 10% deposit: October 30, 2026 source |
| Nearest airport | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) or O'Hare International Airport (ORD) |
| Hotels | The IMTS hotel block, with a free shuttle between McCormick Place and key hotels in 2026; 2028 housing not confirmed yet Official hotel page → |
| Official website | imts.com |
Official IMTS resources
IMTS 2028 calendar
IMTS 2028 dates and deadlines
These are the dates the organizer has published for IMTS, listed in order and linked to the pages that state them. The next date is highlighted.
01 Purple at IMTS 2028
Machines can fill 60% of an IMTS 2028 booth in Chicago; we design the other 40%
We plan your IMTS booth around the machine tools you ship in, with spindles running, chip guards closed and a quiet table where a plant manager can talk cycle times. At McCormick Place we work inside AMT's mandatory Custom Block program and file GES hanging-sign drawings on time.
- Sep 11–16, 2028 · McCormick
- 1,788 exhibitors in 2026
- Priority space due Oct 30
What makes IMTS different, and how we build for it
IMTS runs every other year at McCormick Place and is six days long, so a booth has to hold up from the Monday opening to the Saturday close.AMT organizes the floor by technology sector, from Metal Removal and Tooling & Workholding to Fabricating & Lasers, Quality Assurance and the Industrial AI Arena, and the IMTS Conference and the Smartforce Student Summit run beside it. In 2026, 81% of visitors said they had a role in buying and 53% were first-time visitors. The machines are the exhibit: AMT caps them at 60% of your space and keeps operating equipment three feet back from the aisle, so the remaining floor decides how buyers enter.
A running machine with the part, the cycle time and the cost per part posted beside it, and someone who can talk spindle hours and floor space for their own shop.
Close access to the work zone through the guard window, the probe or metrology data on a screen, and a bench to examine finished parts with a loupe and a gauge.
A seat away from the coolant spray to talk financing, lead time and automation payback, often after walking several miles of aisles across four buildings.
Your team in Chicago
Two shops behind your IMTS booth
We fabricate in our own Fishkill, NY shop and our Las Vegas hub, then ship to McCormick Place, where our own project manager leads the install with vetted local labor. Turnaround is a predictable 30 to 45 days, with pre-show QA and secure storage for your IMTS booth.
The booth is lit and stocked when your team reaches McCormick Place. You just show up.
Inside IMTS 2028
IMTS rules that shape your booth
Machines and equipment may cover no more than 60% of the exhibit space, and operating equipment must sit at least three feet from any aisle, with AMT approving placement (2026 rules). We lay out the machines first and design the remaining floor around them.
IMTS wants machines displayed as they stand in a shop: no pedestals or platforms, normal skids allowed, and turntables no higher than 18 inches (2026 rules). We lift the brand overhead instead of lifting the machine.
Robot demonstrations need fencing or shielding, positive stops and constant supervision; only collaborative robots may run without safeguards, and other industrial robots need virtual fences at the least (2026 rules). We build the fence line into the booth plan.
IMTS sets maximum height by depth: 8 feet for 10-foot-deep booths, 12 for 20, 16 for 30 or more, and island, 1,600-plus square foot or over-16-foot exhibits need approved drawings (2026 rules, due June 30). We draw to the limit your depth allows.
Hanging signs need written AMT and GES approval, and any sign over 500 pounds needs a stamped structural engineer's certificate covering weight and support (2026 rules). We design lightweight fabric signs that stay under that line where possible.
Programs worth planning for
AMT's education program beside the show floor; in 2026 it grouped the IMTS Conference with the Job Shops Workshop, IMTS Industrial AI Conference, Industrial Laser Conference and IMTS Investor Summit.
A free program for students and educators that brings classrooms to the show floor; exhibitors take part as sponsors or exhibitors, and IMTS 2026 counted 14,447 students and educators.
One of the IMTS technology sectors on the 2026 floor, beside Metal Removal, Automation, Additive Manufacturing and Quality Assurance; industrial AI ranked second among visitor product interests in 2026.
Ready booths for smaller exhibitors with backdrop, sign, outlets, lead retrieval, an Exhibitor Showroom listing and Custom Block services included; Package B is a 10×20 at $16,000 for members on 2026 orders.
AMT calls IMTS the largest manufacturing technology show in the Western Hemisphere; choose it over FABTECH when you sell machine tools, tooling, metrology or controls for metal removal rather than forming, welding and finishing equipment. Compare IMTS with the other industrial machinery shows we build for →
industrial machinery at IMTS
The industry behind IMTS, in pictures
02 Booths & pricing for IMTS 2028
Popular booth sizes at IMTS
IMTS sells raw space by the square foot plus Booth Package B, a ready 10×20. Machine builders with several running cells need islands, and at 1,600 square feet AMT wants approved drawings; tooling and metrology brands work well in a 10×30 or 20×20. We size from the machines: they may use only 60% of the floor.
A tabletop measuring machine or a tooling wall with sample parts, held to 8 feet because IMTS ties height to booth depth; Booth Package B already brings two 500-watt outlets.
Above: Messilot, a Purple inline booth
See 10×20 rental booths →
One compact machining center or cobot cell in the middle bay, set three feet off the aisle, with a parts bench at one end and a quote counter at the other, inside the 8-foot height limit for 10-foot-deep space.
Above: IMS, a Purple inline booth
See 10×30 rental booths →
Twenty feet of depth lifts the limit to 12 feet: one running five-axis machine on the 60% side, a hanging sign over the open corner and a stand-up meeting table.
Pictured: Gotec, a Purple island exhibit
See 20×20 rental booths →
Several running cells in a line, a closed meeting room, a 16-foot structure once the depth reaches 30 feet and an island drawing filed with AMT.
Shown: a Purple island exhibit for Senzani
See 20×30 rental booths →In Purple's IMTS price
- Design and a 3D rendering, revised until it is right
- Structure, printed graphics, counters and storage, as specified for IMTS
- Lighting and in-booth power distribution for IMTS
- Installation and dismantle, with our project manager on the floor
- Every show-service order and deadline tracked for you
Paid to IMTS and its contractor
- Booth space, paid to AMT
- Material handling / drayage, if the IMTS space rate leaves it out
- Electrical, internet and rigging orders for IMTS
- Booth cleaning and any union labor the venue requires
Rates to plan with for IMTS:
- Raw space, AMT members $29 per sq ft, ordered in 2026 for IMTS 2028 source
- Raw space, non-members $37 per sq ft, ordered in 2026 for IMTS 2028 source
- Booth Package B (10×20) $16,000 members, $18,000 non-members, 2026 orders source
- Custom Block inflationary charge Up to $2.70 per sq ft, 2026 rules source
We estimate every one of these on your proposal, so the total is on paper before you sign.
All-in 2026 rental ranges: design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle are included, and custom IMTS builds are quoted per project. The booth cost calculator gives an exact number for your IMTS booth; the 2026 booth cost guide has the 2026 ranges.
Send us your booth size for IMTS and what the space needs to do. Our reply comes within one business day; the rendering and fixed proposal usually arrive within a week. No charge.
At IMTS, your team walks into a lit, stocked booth. You just show up.
03 Built by Purple
Booths we designed, built and installed: a few to compare for IMTS
Case study · KLEEMANN
KLEEMANN at an industrial technology exhibition
For a global elevator manufacturer, an interactive booth with digital simulations, real product showcases and a floor plan that guided visitors from first step to last.
KLEEMANN brought heavy elevator equipment to an industrial exhibition and needed visitors to follow it from first step to last, the same job a running machine tool does at IMTS.
Read the KLEEMANN case study All case studies →“Purple Exhibits made us look good. The booth was one of the nicest displays in our section of the convention center and generated a lot of positive comments from both customers and industry peers. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and willingness to go above and beyond made a huge difference.”
Kimberly Owens, Brand Manager, Owens Products · what other clients say
Trusted by exhibitors including
04 Designing for machine tool, cutting tool, workholding, metrology, additive and factory automation brands at IMTS
Four things we get right for IMTS exhibitors
1Plan the 40% the machines leave
AMT limits machinery to 60% of an IMTS exhibit and wants operating equipment at least three feet from any aisle. We draw that setback as the welcome zone, with parts tables and screens, and put the meeting space and storage into what remains of the 40%.
2Show machines at shop height
IMTS asks that machines sit as they would in a plant: no pedestals or platforms, and turntables no higher than 18 inches. We raise the story instead of the machine, with overhead graphics, a sign sized to the building's limit and part displays at eye level.
3Quiet the cutting, guard the robots
High-speed metal cutting and forming at IMTS needs an enclosure, and robots need fencing or at least virtual fences unless they are rated collaborative. We build the guarding into the booth architecture so the cell looks finished and the conversation beside it stays audible.
4Built for six show days
IMTS 2028 runs Monday through Saturday, longer than almost any U.S. trade show. We specify flooring, counters and lighting for six days of coolant, chips and foot traffic, and leave a lockable spares closet so the booth looks the same on day six as on day one.
Concept rendering
Every IMTS proposal includes a rendering like this
See the IMTS booth in 3D first: layout, graphics, lighting and where products sit, revised until it is right and before any panel is cut. Shown: a Purple concept for Bonak.
Start my IMTS conceptFloor at a glance
Where you could be at IMTS 2028
IMTS spreads across all of McCormick Place. In 2026 it used four buildings, each with its own ceiling and sign limits; your 2028 assignment follows your technology sector and space pick.
South Building
40-foot ceiling; under the 2026 rules hanging signs could hang with their bottom edge at 16 feet.
Our advice The building for tall islands: we size the sign and structure to the 16-foot line and run the heaviest machines in on its two-level docks.
North Building
Ceilings from 18 to 40 feet; signs at 16 feet in North Front B1 but 10 feet in North Rear B2, where 2026 rules banned double-deckers and capped walls at 12 feet.
Our advice If your booth number starts in B2, we drop the sign, keep walls at 12 feet and use the machine itself as the landmark.
West Building
40-foot ceiling with 16-foot sign height, but no hanging signs in the West Building Foyer, where walls stop at 12 feet.
Our advice Foyer space needs graphics on the structure, not overhead; we build a taller back wall within the limit instead.
Lakeside Center (East Building)
Level 3 ceilings reach 47 to 50 feet, yet the Level 3 Ballroom allows no machinery, no hanging signs and no plumbing; Level 2 has a 15-foot ceiling.
Our advice If your space falls in the Level 3 Ballroom, we design a screen-led booth with demo stations instead of running equipment.
05 McCormick Place · Chicago
Logistics for IMTS 2028, handled
IMTS puts every exhibitor under AMT's mandatory Custom Block program, which bundles material handling, carpet, protective covering, cleaning and machinery rigging into one price per square foot set by the pounds per square foot you bring; in 2026 an inflationary charge capped at $2.70 per square foot sat on top. GES was the 2026 general contractor and, with AMT, approves hanging signs. At McCormick Place your own full-time staff may assemble the booth, while dock-to-booth freight stays Teamster work. We size the crates to your machine schedule, book move-in around the riggers and put your crew at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place or Marriott Marquis on the skywalk.
IMTS exhibitors can find this building's hall rules, drayage estimates and freight deadlines in our McCormick Place exhibitor guide.
What Purple handles
- Booth plan held to IMTS's 60% machinery cap and three-foot aisle setback
- Height drawn to booth depth: 8, 12 or 16 feet
- Island and hanging-sign drawings filed with AMT and GES
- Robot fencing and machine enclosures built into the structure
- Custom Block weight declarations matched to your shipping list
- Install, six-day support and dismantle led by our project manager
Timeline, counted back from move-in
IMTS 2028 priority space application with 10% deposit due to AMT: October 30, 2026. Applications after this date are assigned only after the priority group, so send us your target footprint now and we will size it against your machine list.
We need your IMTS design signed off by Spring 2028.
- October 30, 2026AMT's priority space deadline: application plus 10% deposit for priority assignment at IMTS 2028.
- Spring 2028Design sign-off; machine list, weights and power frozen so the 60% machinery limit and booth heights can be drawn.
- Late June 2028Island, large-booth and hanging-sign drawings to AMT and GES; in 2026 these were due June 30.
- July to August 2028Production in our Fishkill, NY shop over 30 to 45 days, then crates shipped to the GES warehouse under the Custom Block plan.
- September 2028, before openingMove-in and machine rigging; in 2026 every exhibit had to be ready by 2 p.m. the day before the show opened.
- September 11–16, 2028Six show days with our project manager on call, then dismantle after Saturday's close and freight home or to storage.
Purple's planning timeline for IMTS. Official move-in, freight target and order deadlines for IMTS come from your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule; we confirm them against your booth when you book.
Print the IMTS budget & deadline sheetTravel to IMTS 2028
Getting to IMTS 2028: airport, hotels and parking
Fly in
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) or O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Stay
The IMTS hotel block, with a free shuttle between McCormick Place and key hotels in 2026; 2028 housing not confirmed yet
Park
Parking on the McCormick Place campus, per IMTS travel information (2026)
Travel facts from imts.com.
IMTS by the numbers
IMTS year by year
How IMTS 2028 compares with other industrial machinery shows
The industrial machinery shows closest to IMTS on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Each show name opens our industrial machinery exhibitor guide for that show.
| Show | Dates | City | Latest published size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motion + Power Technology ExpoMotion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA) | October 26–28, 2027 | Detroit, MI | 4,425 professionals with ASM Heat Treat · 170 exhibitors (2025) |
| MT Series SOUTHWESTSME | November 2–4, 2027 | Dallas, TX | 150 exhibitors (2025) |
| AMI Plastics World ExposApplied Market Information LLC (AMI) | November 10–11, 2027 | Cleveland, OH | 5,453 attendees · 352 exhibitors (2025) |
| MT Series WESTSME | November 16–18, 2027 | Long Beach, CA | 7,000 attendees · 331 exhibitors (2025) |
| RoboBusinessThe Robot Report and Arrowfly | 2027 dates not confirmed yet | Santa Clara, CA | 100+ expected exhibitors (2026) |
| The ASSEMBLY ShowBNP Media | 2027 dates not confirmed yet | Rosemont, IL | 200+ exhibitors (2025) |
| Automation FairRockwell Automation | 2027 dates not confirmed yet | Chicago, IL | 15,000+ attendees · 140+ exhibits (2025) |
| MODEXMHI | April 3–5, 2028 | Atlanta, GA | 50,000 attendees · 1,057 exhibitors (2026) |
| IMTSAMT | September 11–16, 2028 | Chicago, IL | 91,295 attendees · 1,788 exhibitors (2026) |
| MINExpoNational Mining Association (NMA) | September 26–28, 2028 | Las Vegas, NV | 45,000 attendees · 2,000+ exhibitors (2024) |
IMTS exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before IMTS
How much does a booth at IMTS 2028 cost?
Start with space: AMT charged $29 per square foot for members and $37 for non-members on 2026 orders, so a 20×20 island is $11,600 to $14,800 before anything is built. Our custom 20×20 runs $50,000 to $120,000 and a 20×40 $100,000 to $250,000. Machine weight drives the Custom Block invoice, so heavy cells move the total most.
What is the deadline to book space for IMTS 2028?
October 30, 2026. Applications with a 10% deposit received by then get priority space assignment for September 2028; later applications are placed after the priority group. Once your space is set, we work back from AMT's drawing deadline, which fell on June 30 in 2026, and ask for design sign-off in spring 2028.
Can we rent a booth for IMTS, and what does a rental include?
A Purple rental brings the walls, tension-fabric graphics, LED lighting, parts counters and a lockable closet, plus freight, install and dismantle on one fixed proposal. A 10×20 rental runs $7,500 to $15,000 and a 20×20 island $16,000 to $40,000; your machines and AMT's Custom Block services stay separate.
Can our own staff build our IMTS booth at McCormick Place?
Your full-time employees may assemble an exhibit of any size at McCormick Place with their own tools, a rule in place since the 2010 reforms. Moving crates and machines from the dock to the booth stays union work under the Custom Block program, so we schedule our project manager and your team around the riggers.
What are the rules for running machines at IMTS?
The 2026 rules cap machinery at 60% of the exhibit, keep operating equipment three feet from the aisle and ban pedestals except turntables up to 18 inches. High-speed cutting and forming needs an enclosure, and robots need fencing unless rated collaborative. We design the booth around all four limits before your engineers commit a layout.
What does material handling cost at IMTS?
IMTS replaces the usual per-hundredweight drayage bill with its Custom Block program: one guaranteed price per square foot for material handling, carpet, covering, cleaning and machinery rigging, invoiced on the pounds per square foot you actually bring. In 2026 an IMTS inflationary charge of up to $2.70 per square foot was added; we put the estimate on your proposal.
Which McCormick Place building will our IMTS booth be in?
That depends on your technology sector and the space AMT assigns. In 2026 IMTS used the South, North and West Buildings and Lakeside Center, each with its own sign limits: 16 feet to the bottom of a sign in the South and West Buildings, 10 feet in North Hall B2. Your booth number sets our freight and height plan.
Can we reuse our IMTS booth at other shows?
IMTS only happens in even years, so we design the structure in modules that also suit FABTECH in Chicago in 2027, WESTEC or EASTEC. Between shows we store it, refresh graphics when a new machine line launches and ship it to whichever show comes first.
Do you handle GES orders and IMTS drawings?
We do. We file the island and large-booth drawings, the hanging-sign order with the structural certificate AMT requires for signs over 500 pounds, and the GES service orders, and we reconcile your Custom Block weights against the shipping list. You receive a copy of every form.
When is IMTS 2028?
IMTS 2028 runs Monday, September 11 to Saturday, September 16, 2028 at McCormick Place in Chicago. IMTS is held in even years, so there is no 2027 edition; the previous show ran September 14–19, 2026.
How many people attend IMTS?
AMT's IMTS 2026 post-show report counts 91,295 registrants and 1,788 exhibiting companies on 1,177,860 square feet, with 167 visitors for every 100 exhibitors. IMTS 2024 drew 89,020 registrants from 110 countries and 1,737 exhibitors, per AMT.
Who organizes IMTS?
AMT, The Association For Manufacturing Technology, based in McLean, Virginia, owns and produces IMTS. AMT members pay the lower space rate, $29 per square foot against $37 for non-members on 2026 orders for the 2028 show.
How do we get a booth at IMTS 2028?
Apply on the IMTS Apply for Space page for raw space, or choose Booth Package A or B for a ready booth with backdrop, outlets, lead retrieval and the Custom Block services included. Package B, a 10×20, cost $16,000 for members and $18,000 for non-members on 2026 orders.
Ask these before you sign
Five things to ask every builder quoting IMTS:
- Are all fees on paper, including what the contractor at McCormick Place bills?
- Who builds the IMTS booth: your own shop or a subcontractor?
- Who from your team is on the IMTS floor for install and dismantle?
- What does the rental include, and what is billed by IMTS?
- What happens to the booth after IMTS, and what does storage cost?
Common situations
Already own a booth? Your existing booth gets refreshed graphics and repairs, then we ship it to Chicago, install it and store it between shows. You keep the structure you paid for and bring it to IMTS.
Exhibiting from outside the US? For IMTS, we act as your team on the ground: freight to the advance warehouse, show-service orders, installation and storage, and one project manager who answers your emails in your time zone.
Short on time? In two to three weeks, a rental with your graphics can be ready for Chicago. We tell you on the first call what is realistic for your date.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your IMTS booth
What happens next
- You get a reply within one business day, asking about your products, goals and footprint at IMTS.
- Usually within a week, you receive a concept rendering and a fixed IMTS proposal. Each IMTS fee listed upfront and in full, on paper.
- We build in 30–45 days, ship to the IMTS advance warehouse and install before the hall opens.