On May 20 and 21, the Apple Rubber team traveled to Santa Clara, California for Design-2-Part (D2P) – America’s premier design and contract manufacturing trade show – to exhibit our custom sealing solutions.
Held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, D2P brings together mid-size American manufacturing companies with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who need specific parts and services to build their products. This year’s D2P was the largest ever to be held in Santa Clara, bringing in over 210 exhibiting companies — including 70 new exhibiting companies over last year.
To learn more about the show and this year’s success, we spoke with Peter DiLeo, director of marketing for Design-2-Part.
“D2P shows maximize your time by gathering America’s leading local and national job shops and contract manufacturers and allowing visitors an immediate hands-on comparison of quality, technology, expertise, price, and service,” DiLeo says. “Attendees get their best opportunity of the year to find new suppliers to improve their quality, reduce their manufacturing costs, and get products to market faster.”
Why should I attend a Design-2-Part Show?
D2P offers 11 different shows in 2015. Each show provides a very efficient sourcing environment for engineers and buyers of custom and stock parts, components, design services, prototypes, additive manufacturing and assemblies.
Exhibiting companies provide products and services covering more than 300 manufacturing categories for the metals, plastics, rubber, and electronics industries.
So why attend a D2P show? There are several reasons:
1. Keep up with emerging trends.
“Visitors come to a Design-2-Part Show looking to stay current with new and emerging technologies,” DiLeo notes . “You can learn about a variety of new manufacturing options and find the best materials and processes for your requirements. Even if you don’t have an immediate need, you can see what technology and suppliers are available for when you start your next project.”
2. Gain access to two different conferences.
The Santa Clara show is the only show that has a co-located conference. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) simultaneously offers Medical Device Trends – Robotics & Accelerated New Product Development, a one-day, innovative conference for engineers.
3. Get face time.
Talking face-to-face with hundreds of manufacturing experts at a Design-2-Part Show is the most efficient way to solve your manufacturing challenges.
“Engineers want to talk to engineers, and at this show, the booths are staffed by qualified professionals that can answer your questions on the spot,” says DiLeo. “And our quality of attendees is what separates D2P Shows from other manufacturing trade shows. The majority of the attendees were engineers, purchasers, and senior management. They are the most influential people in the purchasing process.”
4. It’s free.
Attending the conference is completely free. The opportunity to see so many suppliers and peers in one place makes the visit invaluable and very cost-effective.
5. Improve your products – and your business.
The goal of D2P is to continue to promote and feature America’s finest manufacturers –which in turn will help bring more work back to the United States and help our country get stronger.
“D2P Shows are working shows—so bring your sample parts and drawings, roll up your sleeves, and discover new ways to improve your products,” DiLeo explains. “You can also see, touch, and compare actual parts and components that were produced for other manufacturers in your industry.”
Have Questions about Design-2-Part?
D2P will complete its West Coast schedule in the fall with the Southern California Design-2-Part Show, October 21 and 22 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California.
Want to learn more about any of D2P’s 11 shows? Admission to the exhibitions is free by pre-registering online. The show website also provides detailed information on each exhibiting company along with a product search that allows visitors to plan their visit in advance and view exhibitor videos. Further information can be obtained by visiting the website or by calling 1-800-225-4535.
D2P is also on Twitter – feel free to check out upcoming shows and contact them with any questions.