Allen-Bradley Automation Fair 2002

Anybody in this forum attended Automation Fair 2002 held last week at Anaheim - CA ( Except Ken Roach - I met him there )?

What are your experiences with AF 2002 ?

I always like to be there(Automation fair)

I always like to go there but never had chance to be there. But i have read lots and lots about the fair.
I have heard about it from my friends whom had visited it in previous years. I hope one day i will make it.

But if you can share what you saw there it would be of so much joy for guy like me

I went on Thursday
This was the first time that I had been.
Nice displays.


I didn't have a lot of time, and I couldn't go to any of the seminars.

My impression however unfair it may be, was how much money is Allen Bradley pouring out to all of these guys in the white shirts?

I was surprised at how much space was given to the Pico display.
All in all I was pretty amazed at the product that is available.
It's a big world out there.

The company that I work for sent six of us from the maintenance and our boss and three supervisors for the both days of the Automation Fair. This is the third time that I have been to the west coast edition (and hope to go to the 100th aniversary next year in Milwakee).
I've noticed a change over the years from I/O specific type products to more wireless / networking type products today. There also seemed to be alot of vision products available. I guess that is from the price becoming more reasonable.
Allen-Bradley is not the only vendor out their for automation products BUT it does appear to be the only vendor that will go to the trouble of putting on a first class trade show. I've amazed that A/B will sponsor such a large show that offers free technical seminars, hands on learning labs and a great lunch for FREE.
My only regret is not meeting Ken. I didn't ask around for him but I did make a point of checking out name tags hoping to happen upon him.

PLC Doctor,

Do you really think AB is doing this for free? All of the other vendors had to pay AB for their booth spaceto be there. It is my understanding that AB charges these vendors twice as much as the space cost them, so that AB gets their space for free.

I am sure that you have heard the old saying that nothing is free in this world, which is the case of the automation fair. It appears that AB is giving everyone a free ride, but this is not the case the other vendors are paying dearly.

One of my co-workers attended the fair and he was not very impressed with any of the workshops which he attended, but he did not attend them all, so it would be unfair to state what the others were like.

Here I go, justifyin'

Mike, I'm not going to play Saint here, but I assure you that Rockwell doesn't run AutoFair on the backs of our partner companies, any more than the Mariners use the hot dog vendors to pay for Safeco Field. It's really very inexpensive for them to attend and get access to thousands of customers in person. Call any of them and ask.

If you were at AF99 in Long Beach, you remember that the hands-on-labs cost $50 to register. That was pretty much a nominal fee to assure attendance and prevent the standing-room-only conditions of AF98. But the fees rankled enough people that there haven't been any since.

So that aside, I really enjoy Automation Fair. It's great to see so many people excited about the same things that I work on every day.

It's neat to see all the new hardware being shown off.... PanelView Plus flatscreens ! New analog CompactBlock ! The L35 CompactLogix controller ! The new Fieldbus/HSE interface ! The new PowerFlex 40 drives ! New analog modules with HART interfaces ! New high-flex DeviceNet cable ! Version 12 of RSLogix 5000 software, up and running before our eyes !

More importantly, I get to introduce my customers to the managers, designers, and programmers who are responsible for the products they buy from me. I met the guy who designs the communication features on the SLC-500. I met two of the RSLogix 5000 designers. I met the senior designer for the high horsepower PowerFlex 7000 AC drives. I bought the new VP for North American Sales a beer.

I bought the new VP for North American Sales a beer.

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As our old comical and now infrequent visitor Pierre might say

BROWN NOZZER

plc.doctor said:

the 100th aniversary next year in Milwakee).

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AB's and Harley's 100th in one year? This is going to be a hoppin' town. I wonder how much overlap there will be in the crowds.

It'll be a week before my nose is back to it's original color.

Don't forget the other centennial in 2003.... the 100 year anniversary of the introduction of Miller High Life.

Beer, motorcycles, and logic controllers ? Heaven must be like that!

the 100th aniversary next year in Milwakee).

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(from The Daily Bull):
Milwaukee Most Misspelled City Name
MILLWAUKI, WI - City officials were dismayed to discover that, in a recent Gallup poll, Milwalky was declared the most misspelled city name in the United States. "What is so difficult about the city's name?" asked Milwahki mayor John Norquist. "I mean so what if it has a large collection of vowels that can have their sounds reproduced in dozens of ways. At least Milwaukey doesn't have any silent consonants!"

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I have attended some of the AF shows in the past, (first 4 in a row). If you were behind the scenes and doing setup etc. you would have agree, it is alot of work. I attend as a customer and and exhibitor and will say, it is nicer to be walking around drinking beer and laughing at the poor SOB that stayed up all night to get something "almost" going for the show. If you are wondering where the money from the show comes from, look at your bill when you buy hardware or software. There is no such thing as "FREE".

My favorite saying...... It always comes down to 2 things, how much money do you have to spend and how much pain can you indure? The more you spend, the less pain you have to endure. Ie. I bought a used car, the air conditioner don't work. I sweat alot in the summer, but I saved alot of money.