UK event organiser launches US version of Smart Manufacturing Week
10 March 2026 
The Manufacturer, part of UK-based events organiser, Nineteen Group, is launching a US version of its Smart Manufacturing Week conference and exhibition, expanding the company’s portfolio into North America. The inaugural event will be take place from 19–22 April, 2027 at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, with the exhibition running on the last two days.
The launch follows Nineteen Group Americas’ recent acquisition of Reliabilityweb and marks the next step in its plans to build a comprehensive platform for the advanced manufacturing, industrial technology, reliability and asset management markets.
Smart Manufacturing Week US will consist of two exhibitions – Smart Factory Expo, covering digital manufacturing, industrial IoT, automation and factory transformation, and Maintec, dedicated to maintenance, reliability and asset management – as well as the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit, which will focus on the strategic adoption of digital technologies, and The Reliability Conference, which Nineteen Group acquired when it bought Reliabilityweb.
“Our approach to growth combines strategic acquisitions with organic launches that expand their reach and complement one another,” says Mary Larkin, president of Nineteen Group Americas. “The acquisition of Reliabilityweb gives us a deep connection to the reliability and asset management community, while The Manufacturer and Smart Manufacturing Week’s UK event provide the audience and credibility to scale the platform into the U.S. manufacturing market.”
Detroit was chosen as the venue for the new event because of its location in the heartland of North American manufacturing., According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 3.3 million manufacturing jobs within a 250-mile radius of Detroit – making it one of the largest industrial concentrations in the world.
The US advanced manufacturing market is estimated to be about ten times larger than the UK’s, providing a substantial platform for the continued growth of the Smart Manufacturing Week brand.
“What makes this event distinctive is its ability to connect the entire spectrum of advanced manufacturing – from software and digitalisation to the physical infrastructure and reliability strategies that keep operations running,” says Melissa Ooi, vice-president of Nineteen Group’s US manufacturing portfolio, who will lead the development of the US event. “Where other events focus on a specific niche or process, Smart Manufacturing Week US breaks down those silos.”
“Smart Manufacturing Week has grown into one of the UK’s most dynamic gatherings for manufacturing and engineering leaders,” adds Grace Gilling, managing director of Nineteen’s manufacturing group. “Expanding into the United States is the natural next step. The scale of the American manufacturing market presents an incredible opportunity to bring the Smart Manufacturing Week model to a much larger stage.”
