CHARLOTTE, NC — The second edition of Informa Markets Engineering (IME) IME South was held from June 4 to 6, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Centerbringing together six co-located shows: Medical Design and Manufacturing South; South Pack; ATX South; Design and manufacturing South; Plastec Sud; And Powder and bulk solids South.
More than 2,500 manufacturing professionals, including engineers, designers, decision makers and students, visited the event, which featured approximately 250 exhibiting companies.
According to Melissa Magestro, vice president and group portfolio manager – Advanced Manufacturing Group at IME, the growth of the manufacturing industry in the Southeast United States has created a demand for a trade show in the region.
“Since the COVID pandemic and all the supply chain disruptions … companies that were manufacturing internationally are now moving their operations back to the U.S., and the Southeast is really attractive to them for a lot of reasons,” Magestro explained. “Our clients were saying there wasn’t really an event (in the region) like what Informa Markets Engineering does in other places in the U.S. and … they were missing an opportunity to get exposure to their Southeast customers.”
North Carolina was chosen to host the event because of its position as one of the wealthiest states in the United States. Leading producing states.
Related. New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists Supplier Day Breaks Records, Highlights Innovation in 2024
Trending topics
Two discoveries from the inaugural 2022 edition of the show influenced its 2024 version.
The IME Sud management team noted that the medical device manufacturing sector, a major component of IME’s other regional shows, IME East And IME Westis not as established in the Southeast as it is elsewhere in the United States
In response, they tailored educational programs for medical device manufacturing startups and brought investors to the show floor to kickstart industry growth at the 2024 show.
Additionally, to address the shortage of skilled labor in the region’s manufacturing sector, IME South placed an increased emphasis on workforce development this year. The show team added training opportunities covering relevant topics, such as resume writing and job searching, and worked to connect qualified candidates with hiring companies.
Additionally, IME South has partnered with local universities to bring students to the show, exposing them to the manufacturing community and hiring companies.
“We have an opportunity here to impact the industry and really help the manufacturing community in this region,” Magestro said, noting that the additions have been well-received by exhibitors and have increased the energy at the show. “It’s really exciting to see that kind of enthusiasm within the exhibitor community.”
The show also added new partnerships this year, increasing its local audience and improving diversity, including with the National Society of Black Engineers.
IME South will return to the Charlotte Convention Center—which Magestro praised for its staff, walkability, local footprint and proximity to hotels and networking spaces—May 20-21, 2026.
“The manufacturing industry is still in its infancy in the Southeast. It’s growing very rapidly, and I think when we come back in 2026, the landscape will probably be a little different,” Magestro said, adding that she expects the show to remain “in tune with what’s happening in the region and how the industry is evolving.”
Learn more about IME Sud here.
