It may seem like October 5th — MFG DAY 2018 — is far enough away not to worry just yet about the planning stages, but it will be here before you know it. There are only three months between now and the big day. As any good event planner would tell you, starting sooner rather than later ensures the success of your event.

What is MFG DAY? A Little History

On the first Friday of every October, the nation celebrates the manufacturing industry with MFG DAY. Originally started in 2012 by Founding Partner Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International, it is now produced annually by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), with key contributions from the Manufacturing Institute (MI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

MFG DAY was developed to give manufacturers the opportunity to “…address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.” (Source: http://www.mfgday.com/about-us)

An Official MFG DAY Event Is…

In order for your event to be considered an official MFG DAY event, it only needs to have two characteristics. First, it must be open to students, parents and/or educators. Secondly, it must consist of at least one of the following:

• A tour of a manufacturing facility, office, innovation center, or other site
• Creative student-invite type of event at a manufacturing or manufacturing-supported site (e.g., design office, software company, etc.)
• School event about manufacturing
• Manufacturing-related jobs fair
• Manufacturing-related career day event
• Manufacturing product expo or similar event

Where Do You Start?

You may have many questions, or you may just be looking for some ideas that will make your MFG DAY event a big success. Either way, the MFG DAY website has you covered with all of the answers. Visit their page How to Start Planning Your Manufacturing Day Event for everything you need.

Also, take the opportunity to read some of their recent blog posts on making your event successful. Here are a couple of them that you can tap into right now:

• How to Get Students to Your MFG DAY Event
• Why You Should Register Your MFG DAY Event

You may also want to take a look at the MFG DAY Resources web page. In fact, take a little time to browse the entire MFG DAY website to find some fantastic ideas and a plethora of tips, tricks and success stories.

Start Making Your Plans

Yes, MFG DAY is three months away, but hey! MFG DAY is only three months away! If you start thinking about it and planning now, you could easily put together your best MFG DAY event ever.

If you would like assistance with planning your event, please contact us! We are happy to help!