RAPID + TCT West will take place on the West Coast annually, allowing the original RAPID+ TCT event to cater to the larger U.S. market. The first edition of RAPID + TCT West will take place in Santa Clara, California, Oct. 9-10, 2019.

DEARBORN, Mich. and CHESTER, England, April 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SME and owner of the TCT Group, Rapid News Publications Ltd, have today announced two new events under the RAPID + TCT banner. The new events — RAPID + TCT West and the RAPID + TCT Executive Strategy Summit — will leverage the two organizations' collective industry knowledge and global networks to drive even greater development and adoption of key design-to-manufacturing technologies across all industries.

RAPID + TCT West is an organic extension of the RAPID + TCT brand and addresses the growing need for true coast-to-coast coverage. RAPID + TCT West will take place on the West Coast annually, allowing the original RAPID+ TCT event to cater to the larger U.S. market. The first edition of RAPID + TCT West will take place in Santa Clara, California, Oct. 9-10, 2019.

The RAPID + TCT Executive Strategy Summit, taking place in Palm Desert, California, Oct. 17-18, 2018, will be the forum for executive leaders who want to learn more about the real-world challenges and impacts that the latest technologies can have on manufacturing today. The RAPID + TCT Summit will help guide investment decisions, provide insight into maximizing ROI and keep executives on the same page as their workforce.

Part of the RAPID + TCT mission is to remove barriers to information around cutting-edge, design-to-manufacturing technologies. These new event launches allow easier access to state-of-the-art knowledge for communities across the U.S., from the shop floor to the boardroom.

"As additive manufacturing technology continues to grow in capability and importance, it's our responsibility to reach manufacturers and share our knowledge and understanding of how to fully leverage this technology," said Debbie Holton, vice president of Events and Industry Strategy at SME. "We're proud to be bringing two new opportunities to the U.S. that influence unique audiences including decision makers and end-users. Our partners at TCT share our mission of building awareness and expertise in additive manufacturing, and we're excited about expanding our partnership and building on our teamwork."

Emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing (3D printing) and other 3D technologies are enabling manufacturers to reduce time to market, produce stronger and lighter parts, improve efficiency, reduce waste, cost and emissions, and create products and geometries that could not be created before. Increased awareness of the real benefits of using advanced manufacturing technologies will encourage more companies to adopt these technologies, which will ultimately improve their ability to compete on the global stage.

"This is a strategically important and exciting move for both of our organizations," said Duncan Wood, chief executive, Rapid News Publications Ltd. "Our relationship with SME is built on a shared vision, which is why it works so well. The combination of our two teams working on RAPID + TCT has delivered superb results, and we're delighted to be expanding our combined efforts into these two new events. Having heard so many engineers lament the lack of support and understanding for new technology adoption from executive leadership, we felt it was time to address these concerns, opening more opportunities for our clients, and of course helping our readers and visitors inside their organizations."

SME and TCT joined forces in 2016, combining nearly 30 years of insights and experience to develop the RAPID + TCT event. It is this successful partnership that has paved the way for two exciting new events.

Learn more at this year's RAPID + TCT taking place April 23-26 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Register to attend at rapid3devent.com.

About SME
SME connects manufacturing professionals, academia and communities, sharing knowledge and resources to build inspired, educated and prosperous manufacturers and enterprises. With more than 85 years of experience and expertise in events, media, membership, training and development, and also through an education foundation, SME is committed to promoting manufacturing technology, developing a skilled workforce and attracting future generations to advance manufacturing. Learn more at sme.org, follow @SME_MFG on Twitter or facebook.com/SMEmfg.

About Rapid News Publications Ltd & TCT
Established in 1992, Rapid News Publications Ltd, the owner of the TCT Group, has been a leading authority in additive manufacturing, 3D printing, design and engineering technology for over 25 years. The group's events and media products now deliver business-critical insights, intelligence and inspiration across Europe, North America and Asia on 3D printing, additive manufacturing, CAD/CAM/CAE, metrology, inspection and materials as well as highlighting the latest developments in conventional manufacturing processes such as moulding, casting and CNC machining. The TCT Group mission is to accelerate the adoption of technologies that power innovation in the design-to-manufacturing process chain. Enabling companies across the complete spectrum of industry to achieve the goal of world-class design and manufacturing functions within their organisations. The TCT Group (www.thetctgroup.com) is owned by Rapid News Publications Ltd (www.rapidnews.com) a member of the AEO (Association of Event Organisers) and BPA Worldwide.

About RAPID + TCT
For over 25 years, RAPID + TCT has defined the crucial role of additive manufacturing and empowered the establishment of an industry that continues to conceive, test, improve and manufacture new products at a faster, more cost-efficient pace. The two industry leaders in 3D technology events, SME and The TCT Group, have teamed up to produce the annual RAPID + TCT event. For users and suppliers alike, the event is the premier destination for those who provide technology and for those who need to understand, explore and adopt 3D printing, additive manufacturing, 3D scanning, CAD/CAE, metrology and inspection technologies. For more information, please visit rapid3devent.com.