With the official Manufacturing Day just around the corner — the first Friday in October to be exact — what are you doing to prepare? Of course, you don’t have to celebrate Manufacturing Day on the exact date. In fact, the Manufacturing Day website suggests you plan your festivities for whichever day in October works best for you and the members of your manufacturing plant. But what is Manufacturing Day, and what are other manufacturers doing to celebrate?
Manufacturing Day
According to the official website, “Manufacturing Day is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers.” And if you’ve never taken part before, it’s not too late! You can even register your event on the website and access resources to help you plan. While the event is focused on the next generation of manufacturers, it’s not limited to manufacturers who organize student groups to visit their plants. Rather, manufacturers also extend invitations to members of the media; local, regional, and national government leaders; teachers and professors; as well as business professionals.
Why? Manufacturing Day is all about
- empowering manufacturers,
- changing how members of the public view the industry,
- introducing the public to manufacturing career opportunities,
- showing the importance of manufacturers in their neighborhoods and social groups, and
- emphasizing the role of manufacturing in the economy and communities.
Get involved
So, what can you do to celebrate Manufacturing Day? While there’s no limit to the number of ways you can get involved, there are some common ways manufacturers celebrate.
- Give tours of your plant. Whether you’d like to offer a limited-engagement-only tour to a select few visitors or open your plant for anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at what happens day to day on the manufacturing floor, you can craft your event as you see fit. You can even segment your tours to allow different groups — from families to local business leaders — to see what you do from a unique point of view. If you choose to go this route, remember to keep safety a top priority among plant personnel and distinguished guests.
- Join other manufacturers and host a party. Is your plant located in a manufacturing park surrounded by other industry insiders? Do you happen to work in a heavily populated area near downtown or a main street? Team up! Schedule a spot in the park you work in or at a community center or open space and invite members of the public to join you. Not only can they learn more about manufacturers in their community and the industry but they also get the chance to interact with plant floor pros in a fun and safe environment — no personal protective equipment required!
- Join a manufacturing fair. An alternate to a party, your event could focus more directly on education if you choose to host or join other industry experts in a fair. Much like a career fair or Comic-Con, your event could offer booths for meet-and-greets, fun and games, hands-on activities, or even interactive presentations.
These opportunities also offer you the chance share your manufacturing brand story with others in the community.
