3D Printing Doubles Its Footprint At International CES 2015

If you are heading over to Las Vegas for the forthcoming International CES event, be prepared, because it’s going to be mind-blowing. If you didn’t know, for the last 40 years, the International CES has been a gathering place of consumer technology businesses from around the world.  They get together to show off their latest and greatest technological innovations and monstrosities.

3D printing is a relative newcomer in CES history and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which produces CES, announced back in June that the 3D printing footprint at the 2015 International CES has already doubled from the 2014 CES. Presented by TCT Magazine + Personalize, “The 3D Printing Marketplace” will feature more than 30 innovative companies showcasing their latest 3D printing technology.

One of the best reasons to go is to listen to and meet some of the most interesting speakers in the whole 3D printing industry.

For example, Autodesk Inc.’s Carl Bass will kick off the day by bringing his varied experience and history within and outside of the 3D design community.  Perhaps he will elaborate on which market factors prompted Autodesk to jump into the 3D printing industry with the Spark Platform and Ember 3D printer.  Maybe he will talk about Autodesk’s new partnership with Hewlett Packard.

The afternoon will begin with an inside look at one of the most intriguing companies in the industry today. Materialise CEO Fried Vancraen, who founded Materialise in 1990, will talk about the incredible 3D printing applications his company employs and refines. Materialise has been instrumental in the development of life-changing applications of 3D printing.

MakerBot was the first 3D printing company to exhibit at International CES in 2009.  Their new CEO Jenny Lawton will explore how the technology and the industry have grown, as well as where MakerBot sees itself in the coming years. Joining Jenny in the “Getting Access to 3D Printing” session, 3D Hubs’ co-founder Bram de Zwart will explain how consumers and businesses can access 3D printing without having to buy a machine or single bit of resin or filament.

Next up, Shapeways’ CEO Peter Weijmarshausen will major on the business opportunities and information about Shapeways and its thousands of Shapeways Shop owners.

Formlabs is symbolic of a new paradigm for hardware startups, having made the transition from an incredibly successful Kickstarter launch to a respected player in less than 2 years. Their lawsuit with 3D Systems has finally settled, and it will be interesting to hear what Co-founder Max Lobovsky has to say about their future. He will also take listeners through the ups and downs of his company’s wild journey so far, and how it impacts not just 3D printing, but every hardware startup.

Terry Wohlers and Phil Reeves will be on hand to reference the facts and analyze a wide range of figures of the 3D printing industry data and its impacts.

The 3D Printing Marketplace will be located at CES Tech West. Tech West includes the Sands Expo (Sands), The Venetian and Wynn/Encore exhibits. Major exhibitors located within the 3D Printing Marketplace include: 3D Systems, Autodesk, MakerBot, Materialise, Stratatys and XYZ Printing.

According to Karen Chupka, the senior vice president of International CES, “With huge advancements in digital technology, 3D printers are moving toward more compact units that are more suitable for consumers and capable of printing a variety of consumer goods, from toys and electronics to clothing, shoes and even food. The vast expansion of the 3D printing footprint at the 2015 CES speaks to the category’s potential to become a major disruptor in the global economy, and confirms that CES is the platform to see the future of printing come to life.”

Here’s the list of 3D printing companies that will be at CES 2015. See you there.