Automate, the largest robotics and automation trade show in North America, celebrated its most successful event to date with record numbers of registrants and exhibitors. 45,000 people from around the world registered to visit the sold-out show floor that featured more than 900 exhibitors during Automate’s four-day run from May 12-15, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.
“The tremendous growth of Automate this year demonstrates that automation is more relevant today than ever before,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the organization that hosted the show. “Robotics and automation technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and we are seeing an increase in interest from companies in every industry all over the world.”
This year’s Automate was the largest yet, with 50% more registrants than the last time the show was in Detroit in 2023. The event occupied all available exhibit space at Huntington Place, spanning both the main floor and lower level of the convention center.
“Automate is incredibly impactful for us and has been essential to our success as a small startup. We are at our hockey stick moment, and we couldn't be more grateful to Automate and A3,” said Kirby Witte, chief commercial officer at ESTAT Actuation.
“I am thankful for the tremendous support we received from all of our sponsors, speakers, exhibitors and attendees who helped grow this show into our largest yet,” Burnstein said. “Attendees continue to tell us they find the show valuable both for the knowledge they gain and the connections they make.”
A3 is confident that Automate will continue to grow over the coming years. Exhibitors are quickly reserving spots for next year - companies have already committed to 33% more square footage for the 2026 show than they did at the same time last year for the 2025 show.
Key Highlights from Automate 2025
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Notable Keynotes From:
- Brad Holmes, executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Lions, joined by Dan Miller, sports director at Fox 2 Detroit and voice of the Lions
- Deepu Talla, vice president of robotics and edge AI at NVIDIA
- Aamir Paul, president of North America operations at Schneider Electric
- Ujjwal Kumar, group president at Teradyne Robotics
- The Automate Startup Challenge: Early-stage companies in robotics and automation went head-to-head, pitching their technologies to a panel of industry-expert judges. Kinisi, a company developing autonomous humanoid robots, won the $10,000 prize.
- Engelberger Awards Ceremony: Recipients of the 2025 Engelberger Awards, the world's most prestigious robotics honor, were celebrated at the Joseph F. Engelberger Awards Dinner and Ceremony on May 14. Stuart “Stu” Shepherd of Shepherd Solutions Inc. was recognized for his industry leadership, and Dr. Peter Corke of the Queensland University of Technology was this year’s winner in the education category.
- Student Opportunities: Automate inspired the next generation of automation professionals through a variety of initiatives. The first-ever Automate Student Challenge offered attendees the opportunity to watch student teams complete in various robotics competitions throughout the week. Students were also able to explore career paths in automation at the Education Pavilion and had access to free tours of the show floor.
- Educator Focus: Educator Day offered those supporting young minds with the opportunity to learn about the latest in automation curriculum and earn continuing education credits. Dr. Jeritt Williams from Illinois State University won the 2025 Educator of the Year Award for his work with his students.
- Second Annual Automate Innovation Awards: This competition offered exhibitors an opportunity to showcase cutting-edge solutions they’ve introduced to the market in the last year to a global audience. A panel of judges looked for innovation and uniqueness in industrial automation and chose SiLC Technologies, a LiDAR company, as this year’s winner.
- Women’s Empowerment Forum: A3 hosted a networking breakfast and keynote panel designed to bring women in the automation industry together, build connections and leadership skills and drive progress in the industry.
- Robust Industry Conference: The comprehensive educational conference attracted more than 900 attendees and offered in-depth courses led by more than 200 industry experts. Topics ranged from introductory courses on robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine vision to deep dives into smart automation, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and mobile and collaborative robot applications. Cutting edge technologies, like digital twins, humanoid robotics, and AI agents, were also discussed. Attendees praised the event’s unique blend of practical applications, thought-provoking discussions, and previews of emerging tech, along with invaluable networking opportunities that energized the conference throughout the week.
2026 and 2027 Event Details
Next year, Automate will be held from June 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago. In 2027, the show will move to Las Vegas for the first time, running May 10-13.
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