ProMat 2027 in Chicago: What to Know Before You Go

ProMat 2027 at a Glance

ProMat 2027 is MHI's manufacturing and supply chain show, held April 19-21, 2027, at McCormick Place in Chicago. It is free to attend and expects more than 1,000 exhibitors across three show floors.

The show covers material handling and automation from manual carts to fully automated systems. Buyers use it to compare equipment, software and integrators in one place.

Planning other shows this year? See the full 2027 trade show events calendar or download the one-page PDF calendar.

What Is Different About ProMat 2027

The biggest change is the schedule. ProMat 2027 runs three days, Monday through Wednesday. ProMat 2025 ran four days.

The floor is not shrinking. By December 2025, exhibitors had already reserved 94% of the show floor, according to Modern Materials Handling. That is 653,600 net square feet across 977 booths.

Same floor, one less day. The ProMat show now rewards visitors who plan ahead. 2025 figures are from MHI Solutions.

"A three-day ProMat changes the math for buyers. You lose a full day on the floor, but the floor is just as big. Decide before you land which technologies matter to your operation. Then put those booths on day one, while your team is fresh. Leave Wednesday afternoon for comparing your finalists."

Ed Romaine, VP of Marketing and Business Development, ISD

What You Will Find on the ProMat Show Floor

ProMat is organized around solutions, not industries. The fastest way to use it is to start from the problem you need to solve.

• Storage density and picking. ASRS, cube storage, shuttles, vertical lift modules and goods-to-person workstations.
• Moving product. Conveyor, sortation and pallet handling, from unit load to parcel.
• Labor and flexibility. AMRs, AGVs, robotic picking and collaborative robots.
• End of line. Packaging, palletizing, depalletizing and truck loading and unloading.
• Control. Warehouse execution, control and management software that ties it all together.

Watch for the StartUp Pavilion and the MHI Innovation Awards. The 2025 awards drew 234 submissions, which makes the finalists a useful short list of new ideas.

ProMat 2027 Exhibitor List and Floor Plan

MHI publishes the ProMat 2027 exhibitor list and an interactive floor plan online. Search by product category, save the booths you want and map a route by hall. Both update as exhibitors are added, so check them again the week before the show.

"Use the MHI Industry Group sessions before you walk the aisles. Several manufacturers present side by side, so you hear how each technology fits different order profiles. Then visit the booths with sharper questions and a shorter list. Ask each presenter where their technology is the wrong fit. That answer tells you a lot."

Robert Jones, Senior Distribution Consultant, ISD

Education, Keynotes and Sessions

ProMat education is free with registration. The 2025 show offered 215 seminars and four keynotes. Sessions run on the show floor in 45-minute blocks, so you can fit them between booth visits.

ProMat has traditionally hosted the release of the MHI Annual Industry Report and MHI Industry Night. MHI announces the 2027 keynote lineup closer to the show.

ISD speakers appear in three ProMat 2027 sessions:

MHI also runs Student Day for engineering and supply chain students. It brings the next generation of engineers onto the show floor.

Plan Your Three Days at ProMat Chicago

Three days go quickly. A little logistics work now pays off on the floor.

• Register early. Attendee registration is free. Registering ahead can save time at badge pickup on Monday morning.
• Book a hotel. MHI lists official ProMat hotels on its travel page. Rooms near McCormick Place tend to go first.
• Plan the trip in. McCormick Place sits on Lake Shore Drive, south of downtown. O'Hare and Midway both serve Chicago, and the Metra Electric line stops at McCormick Place.
• Read the show overview. MHI's About ProMat page covers who exhibits and who attends.

For what to bring and what to ask exhibitors, see which automation trade shows to attend in 2027.

Before you fly in, run the Warehouse Automation ROI Calculator to see what labor and space cost you today. Want an engineer to check the numbers first? Schedule a free consultation.

"Build your ProMat plan around your problem, not the floor map. If you need density, see storage. If you need labor relief, see robotics and goods-to-person. We might use several manufacturers in one facility, so compare them side by side before you commit. The right answer is the one that fits your operation, not the easiest one to sell."

Tony Morgott, President, ISD

ProMat and MODEX: The Every-Other-Year Schedule

MHI produces two alternating shows. ProMat runs in odd-numbered years in Chicago. MODEX runs in even-numbered years in Atlanta. After ProMat 2027, the next shows are MODEX 2028 and ProMat 2029.

Visit ISD at ProMat 2027, Booth N6115

"Book a time with us before you fly to Chicago. Send your order profile ahead, and our engineers can come to the meeting with options for your building. You leave with next steps, not just brochures. That is the best use of a short week at ProMat Chicago."

Ed Romaine, VP of Marketing and Business Development, ISD

ProMat 2027 FAQ