{"id":3988,"date":"2017-03-11T18:45:51","date_gmt":"2017-03-11T18:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/get3dsmart.com\/Stagingsite\/\/\/?p=3988"},"modified":"2017-07-10T18:51:33","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T18:51:33","slug":"amug-rock-hard-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/get3dsmart.com\/Stagingsite\/2017\/03\/11\/amug-rock-hard-place\/","title":{"rendered":"AMUG: Between a Rock and Hard Place"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking for a conference where you can learn more about 3D printing? AMUG would be on almost anyone\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/all3dp.com\/3d-printing-additive-manufacturing-conference-calender\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">list<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of recommendations. There\u2019s just one catch though. If your company doesn\u2019t actively own and use additive manufacturing equipment, you can\u2019t attend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3D Systems started a user group nearly 30 years ago. Over time it morphed, becoming the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG). As companies began to invest more into 3D printing, they started purchasing equipment from multiple vendors. Even though the technologies were different, many of the learnings around applications and processes were similar enough. It made sense to expand the mission. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m guessing that AMUG also recognized the opportunity of a larger base. Even though the conference was run by volunteers, it still benefited from greater size. Costs could be spread among more attendees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But AMUG by definition was still a users group. They had to draw a line in the sand somewhere. The simplest way to do that was to require that an attendee be a user of additive manufacturing equipment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does that mean exactly? I contacted AMUG\u2019s current President, Steve Deak to find out. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Mr. Deak, to attend AMUG, a person has to own, or work for a company that owns additive manufacturing equipment. That brought up a whole list of questions, like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What types of additive manufacturing technology are included?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Desktop or just industrial?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What about people and companies who outsource to fill their needs?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 1,000 people will attend AMUG this year. The leadership team reviews every application to confirm they meet the standard. If there\u2019s a question, the prospective attendee is contacted and asked about their equipment. Deak told me that in some cases, AMUG has even contacted the equipment manufacturer to verify what they\u2019d been told. If a person registers online and the information can\u2019t be verified, AMUG cancels their registration and refunds their money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I asked Mr. Deak, what gates are in place to keep someone from going through all that hassle. He said that the AMUG website informs them when they go to register. Here is what it actually says:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, that answers my initial questions. Only owners of the above types of \u201cindustrial\u201d equipment who are using it for \u201cprofessional\u201d applications are invited. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But it\u2019s really not that simple. Could a company that owns a $350 M3D Micro attend AMUG? It\u2019s not an \u201cindustrial\u201d machine by any stretch. You could just say no to desktop machine owners in general, but that would be awkward. Formlabs, Rize, and Ultimaker are all current sponsors and are exhibiting at the conference.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What about newer technologies like CLIP and multi-jet fusion? Carbon and HP are also sponsors? Can their owners attend?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, what constitutes a professional application?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But here\u2019s an even bigger issue. The companies who make the investment to sponsor and exhibit at AMUG would probably like to see others there as well. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like who you ask?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>PROSPECTS<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 3D printing industry is small but growing quickly. To meet their revenue goals some of the manufacturers will need to sell thousands of expensive machines this year. Not all of those sales will come from existing users.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in 2014, PriceWaterhouseCoopers conducted a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/technology-forecast\/2014\/issue2\/features\/future-3d-printing.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">survey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the top 100 manufacturers. 33% of those hadn\u2019t even begun to implement 3D printing. Much has happened since then, and I\u2019d speculate that if you asked that same group today, the number of non-users would be lower.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what about the next hundred? Or the next thousand, or the remainder? This 2014 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nam.org\/Newsroom\/Top-20-Facts-About-Manufacturing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">data<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the National Association of Manufacturers sheds some light:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the U.S. there were a total of 251,901 firms in the manufacturing sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">248,152 of those were considered \u201csmall\u201d (less than 500 employees)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">188,926 of the total had fewer than 20 employees<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point, what percentage of small manufacturers have purchased a 3D printer? Maybe 20%? In 2015, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fabbaloo.com\/blog\/2015\/5\/31\/how-many-3d-printers-are-there-really\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Fabbaloo suggested that globally, there were less than 300,000 3D printers installed. Manufacturers weren\u2019t the only buyers. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brands and retailers, medical practices, and plenty of others are considering investments in 3D printing. If you were a manufacturer of 3D printing equipment, would you want those prospective customers excluded?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>INVESTORS<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This one really puzzles me. I\u2019ve written repeatedly about the \u201cchicken-and-egg\u201d syndrome faced by those in the 3D printing industry. It takes significant investment to scale a hardware business. But it\u2019s difficult to get investment without measurable traction. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s complicated by the fact there are so few investors in the space. Of the $20+ billion in venture capital that was raised last year, how much do you think was directed towards additive manufacturing? Once you get past Google\u2019s $100 million investment in Carbon, and the $50 million invested in Desktop Metal, the amount invested by company goes down significantly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To drive investment, you have to give venture capital firms a reason to believe. Where better to do that than at a user\u2019s conference, where real-world applications are being discussed by real people, using real processes and real technology?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>MEDIA<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many product announcements will be made at AMUG this year? According to a recent <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.additivemanufacturingusersgroup.com\/newsletter\/amug-newsletter-february-2017\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">newsletter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 3D Systems plans to provide attendees with \u201ca first glimpse at transformative 3D production solutions across industries and use cases, from metals to plastics,\u201d and Voxel8, who is a first-time Diamond Sponsor, will \u201cannounce the development of a next-generation industrial platform.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think they want some press coverage out of those announcements?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I attend many conferences as a member of the media. I try to find unique angles others aren\u2019t writing about. I hope the facilitators, sponsors, and exhibitors at those shows receive some value from what I do. More importantly I hope you, the readers do as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve requested a pass for AMUG for two years straight. Both times I was denied. Last year I said fine, I\u2019ll cover something else. This year I asked Mr. Deak for an explanation. He told me that only certain press outlets were invited. They were asked to sign a \u201cMemo of Understanding.\u201d I asked if I could sign one and was told that there were only a certain number available and they were already full.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I pushed, asking which media outlets would be present. The answer? TCT and SME. TCT is a bonafide outlet covering all aspects of 3D printing. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is an industry association. That\u2019s it. No mainstream press?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I asked why others weren\u2019t invited. When you finally peel back the onion, it\u2019s because they have trade-in-kind relationships. TCT and SME get booth space at AMUG, and AMUG gets booth space at RAPID and other trade show events.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I get that approach for exhibit space, but why should it impact or prohibit other members of the press from attending?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BIG FISH, SMALL POND<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been saying for a long time that 3D printing has an identity problem. Lots of \u201cold timers\u201d want it to remain a cottage industry. They like being big fish in a small pond. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But that\u2019s no longer realistic. Large companies from other sectors are entering the space. Startups are bursting on the scene. Outsiders with valuable skills, from sales and marketing to operations and supply chain, are diving in. Potential customers from many different industries are evaluating the impact 3D printing could have on their business models. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pond has become a lake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can understand why some might resist. Large, well-known companies spend more in R&amp;D than the industry\u2019s current \u201cbig players\u201d generate in annual revenue. They operate globally and already have sophisticated sales and service networks. They know how to scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startups are another threat. They\u2019re more agile. This leaves the traditional players stuck in the middle, attacked from both sides.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the fact is, the industry is changing. If analysts are correct, in less than 5 years the 3D printing market could be 4-5 times bigger than it is today. To achieve that growth the industry will have to keep pace. More vendors, more people, and most importantly, more customers will have to jump in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake will grow to become an ocean. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The industry\u2019s founding companies can deny or resist it, but they won\u2019t stop it. They can also grow with it, but they must recognize that they\u2019ll be smaller fish in bigger waters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ROCK MEETS HARD PLACE<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AMUG has pivoted before. It started as a group specifically for 3D Systems equipment users and expanded to include users of other machines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To remain relevant and vital to the industry, it\u2019s time AMUG expanded once again. Prospects, investors and members of the media shouldn\u2019t be shunned. They should be welcomed! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m sure many of the members of AMUG would disagree. It\u2019s their organization and they can do with it what they want. But they need to keep in mind that they\u2019re between a rock and a hard place. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The future is inevitable. New sellers and buyers will drive growth in the 3D printing market. It\u2019s an unavoidable reality, and a very hard place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3D printing\u2019s past is a small rock, and in this case the only thing holding it in place is resistance from a group that is threatened by change. Keeping things the way they are is the equivalent of trying to defy gravity. Sooner or later the rock will fall away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only question that remains is, will AMUG adapt, or will others innovate in the space where the rock once stood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creative Commons <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gillesgonthier\/412590265\/in\/photolist-CsCHg-A8zQK-adBYBe-ogej8z-oesoXx-9NDvLH-5E2cVu-eeBiaF-9NG7YG-9Nv8dj-9NGYu8-8ctsPh-nWYbbr-6EnUQS-zm7Nm-aJb9ui-nB5JZn-nsv8uF-aYquKP-9NvgtE-nWXPsU-9AZnAc-8MBDdG-oZg4gb-6pa57E-7Tx3yN-8rSUik-9e5iio-dGFCs-6TcQ3L-iGvtUs-9VPR5A-8kqUMp-JRGNt4-AMHyo-akUevg-7QbeeC-dAwiZA-dPKVJN-3en1DT-8T5Ju9-fgqgUP-akUeoe-4NsxD7-dAqZ56-dAwrhJ-dAwj6o-sqtUVK-dAqNep-86shWQ\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between a Rock and a Hard Place<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is Copyright \u00a9 2007 by Gilles Gonthier<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for a conference where you can learn more about 3D printing? AMUG would be on almost anyone\u2019s list of recommendations. There\u2019s just one catch though. If your company doesn\u2019t actively own and use additive manufacturing equipment, you can\u2019t attend. 3D Systems started a user group nearly 30 years ago. Over time it morphed, becoming<a class=\"article-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/get3dsmart.com\/Stagingsite\/2017\/03\/11\/amug-rock-hard-place\/\"><i class=\"flownewsicon fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,63],"tags":[114,113,116,115,117],"class_list":["post-3988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3dp","category-associations","tag-additive-manufacturing","tag-amug","tag-fabbaloo","tag-national-association-of-manufacturers","tag-tct"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>AMUG: Between a Rock and Hard Place | Get3DSmart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Prospects, investors and members of the media shouldn\u2019t be shunned at AMUG. 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