This year, the cable and wire harness manufacturing industry came “wired” to the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE), May 16-18, and left inspired with access to new technologies, solutions to challenging issues through training and education and a network of leading-edge companies, industry leaders and subject matter experts. Produced by the Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA), IPC and the Wisconsin Center, the event drew in a total of 3,049 attendees, an 18 percent increase over 2022.

“This year’s event surpassed our expectations. The energy on the show floor was amazing and spoke volumes on the touch points and relationships that were created,” said Joe DeMan, WHMA Board chair. “I am certain that the collaborations formed have already begun to forge a host of innovative real-world solutions, technical advancements, and business opportunities. I continue to believe that WHMA/IPC’s mission to ‘lead, educate and connect’ will continue to play an ever-increasing role in this process. As our industry grows to play a significant part in the most vital areas of our lives, so too will the pivotal role of WHMA/IPC.”

Highlights included seven professional development courses, and 19 technical conference sessions that provided new information and data, skills, and techniques and trends related to the cable and wire harness industry, a keynote from Dr. Kenneth Harris on building the future and ample networking opportunities.

From survey responses, attendees clearly achieved their business objectives while at the event. “I really enjoyed attending my first EWPTE and getting to see new technology and equipment that could potentially increase our company’s productivity,” said Jessica Murphree, associate quality engineer, Syncro Corporation. “Every booth, supplier, and vendor actually took time to demonstrate equipment and answer questions. Everyone was very helpful in pointing us in the right direction of needs based on our company’s products. Our goal was to find some cost savings in products and also increase employee efficiency. I feel confident that we have found everything that we needed at EWPTE 2023. This was my first trip to Milwaukee and this particular expo, and I hope to attend more in the future,” added Murphree.

The EWPTE 2023 experience was equally positive for the 185 exhibitors (up 19 percent from 2022) who showcased their products and services spanning 43,400 net square feet of show floor space (up 17 percent from 2022) and generated a total of 12,063 leads according to the lead data count, a 35 percent increase over leads in 2022.

“We have exhibited at EWPTE for many years and this has always been a great show to attend, meet new potential customers while re-uniting and exchanging new ideas with our existing customer base, said Brian Betti, President, LPMS-USA. “This year was exceptional!  We had the two busiest show days in our years of exhibiting that generated a higher amount of quality leads from potential customers than we have previously.”

In 2024, EWPTE will return to the Wisconsin Center, May 14-16. For more information, visit www.electricalwireshow.com.