The Short Answer

The best automation trade shows in 2027 are ProMat 2027 and Automate 2027, then the shows that match your industry.

ProMat covers material handling and supply chain automation. Automate covers robotics, vision and industrial automation. Both run in the same spring, three weeks apart.

Industry shows fill the gaps. A food processor may get more from PACK EXPO Las Vegas. A 3PL may get more from IWLA.

For every date and city, see the full list of 2027 warehouse and manufacturing trade show events.

Updated for 2027. Dates are as published by each organizer as of October 2026.

Why Automation Trade Shows Still Matter

Spec sheets and videos only go so far. Automation is a physical purchase, and the show floor is where it proves itself.

"Most buyers walk in with a list of equipment to see. The better approach is to walk in with a problem to solve. Bring your order profile, your labor gaps and your space limits. Then ask every exhibitor how they would solve that problem. A show is the one week a year when most of your options are in one building."

Ed Romaine, VP of Marketing and Business Development, ISD

At a show you can watch a shuttle, robot or sorter run at speed. You can see how it handles a mixed tote or a crushed case. You can hear it, too, which matters when people work beside it.

Shows also let you compare integrators side by side. In one afternoon you can talk to five companies about the same problem. Their questions tell you as much as their answers.

A good show also shortens the buying cycle. Meetings that take months to schedule can happen in one week. Operations, engineering and finance can walk the floor together and align early.

The Must-Attend 2027 Automation Trade Shows

Six automation trade shows stand out for warehouse and manufacturing buyers in 2027. They are listed in calendar order.

ProMat 2027 is the largest of the group. It expects more than 50,000 manufacturing and supply chain professionals at McCormick Place, according to the ProMat show site. Exhibits run from manual equipment to fully automated systems. See what ISD will show at ProMat 2027.

Automate 2027 is the robotics and industrial automation show, produced by A3. Plan a day there if your project centers on robotic picking, palletizing or machine tending.

PACK EXPO Las Vegas matters if packaging is where your line slows down. Case packing, end-of-line automation and palletizing take up much of the floor.

The smaller shows trade scale for focus. Fewer aisles often mean longer and better conversations.

"No one manufacturer does everything extremely well. Use a show to see a range of OEMs. In the same facility, we might work with four different conveyor manufacturers because those are what fit best. Look at several conveyor makers and several shuttle makers at the show. Then ask which combination fits your operation, not which brochure looks best."

Tony Morgott, President, ISD

ProMat or MODEX: Which Year Is Which?

ProMat and MODEX are both produced by MHI, the Material Handling Institute. They alternate years, so one of them runs every spring.

ProMat runs in odd-numbered years at McCormick Place in Chicago. MODEX runs in even-numbered years at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Both shows cover manufacturing, distribution and supply chain automation. If you miss one, the other covers the same ground the following year. The simple rule for budgets and travel: odd year, Chicago; even year, Atlanta.

2027 is a ProMat year. For the even-year show, see ISD at MODEX.

Pick Your Warehouse Trade Shows by Industry

The flagship shows cover everything. Industry shows go deeper on the products, rules and handling problems you face every day.

A practical plan is one flagship show plus one industry show. The table below matches the industries ISD serves to 2027 shows.

"Industry shows are where you find handling problems that look like yours. A frozen food operation has different limits than an apparel DC. Talk to people who run the same temperatures, case sizes and order profiles. Their lessons are often worth more than a booth demo. Ask them what they would do differently the second time."

Bob Jones, Senior Distribution Consultant, ISD

How to Get the Most From a Show Visit

Automation trade shows reward preparation. These steps turn a walk through the aisles into progress on a project.

1. Pre-book meetings. Booth staff are stretched thin on the first day. Book 30- to 45-minute slots two to four weeks out.
2. Bring throughput and SKU data. Bring order lines per day, SKU counts, peak versus average volume and a building drawing. Real numbers turn a booth chat into a working session.
3. Run the ROI Calculator first. Know what labor, space and errors cost you today. The Warehouse Automation ROI Calculator gives you a baseline in a few minutes.
4. Bring the right team. Operations, engineering, IT and finance see different risks. One shared visit can save weeks of internal meetings.
5. Follow up within a week. Send your data to the two or three exhibitors who asked the best questions.

Want help building that data package before the show? ISD can walk through it with you. Schedule a free consultation and bring what you have.

"Customers need a partner who will be honest with them. At a show, that means telling you when a technology does not fit your volume. The right partner will not recommend the easiest solution, just the right one. If an exhibitor never asks about your data, keep walking."

Tony Morgott, President, ISD

Visit ISD at ProMat 2027, Booth N6115

"The best show visits end with a next step, not a bag of brochures. Book a time with us before April. We can review your data before you arrive. Then the time at the booth goes to your building and your options, not introductions."

Ed Romaine, VP of Marketing and Business Development, ISD

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions You Should Ask Exhibitors

Take these four questions to every booth you visit at automation trade shows.