Automate 2026, the largest North American robotics and automation conference, set records with more than 50,000 registrants and 1,230 exhibitors at McCormick Place in Chicago. The surge reflects companies across industries turning to automation to boost productivity and handle workforce challenges. The event highlighted advances in humanoid robots, industrial AI, and machine vision, with the next show scheduled for Las Vegas in May 2027.
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Automate 2026, North America's largest robotics and automation event, drew more than 50,000 registrants and 1,230 exhibitors to Chicago from June 22–25, filling 425,000 square feet of show floor. The event featured humanoid robots, industrial AI, machine vision, and automation systems, with a new Humanoid Robot Pavilion sponsored by Nvidia and a Humanoid Robot Forum that attracted 1,100+ registrants.
Why it matters
Companies are investing heavily in automation to improve productivity, address workforce challenges, strengthen supply chains, and remain competitive. The record scale and energy of the event—including packed keynotes, product launches, live demonstrations, and 140+ conference sessions on industrial AI, robotics adoption, and workforce transformation—signals strong momentum across industries.
What to watch
Automate 2027 will take place in Las Vegas, May 10–13, 2027. The Automate Startup Challenge winner, Mbodi, received $10,000 for its platform that teaches industrial robots new tasks through natural language and simple demonstrations. Automate Innovation Awards recognized CeiliX InfinityCrane and SkyRunner in Automation Systems; Standard Bots' Flux AI in Vision, AI and Software; and Synapticon ACTILINK-JD featuring POSITRON Safety AI in Components, Hardware and Enabling Technologies.
Automate 2026's record attendance reflects a fundamental shift in how manufacturers and industrial companies approach operational efficiency. The event drew more than 50,000 registrants and 1,230 exhibitors across 425,000 square feet of space, signaling broad-based appetite for automation technologies across sectors. Companies are deploying these systems not merely to reduce labor costs but to tackle interlinked challenges: workforce scarcity, supply chain resilience, and competitiveness in a demanding market.
The prominent showcase of humanoid robots—evidenced by Nvidia's sponsorship of a dedicated pavilion and the debut Humanoid Robot Forum drawing 1,100+ registrants—underscores a shift in the robotics industry toward more flexible, general-purpose machines. Similarly, the emphasis on industrial AI and machine vision, reflected in the Innovation Awards and 140+ conference sessions on robotics adoption and workforce transformation, points to a market that is integrating AI and vision systems into traditional automation workflows. The Startup Challenge winner, Mbodi, exemplifies this trend: its platform uses natural language and simple demonstrations to teach robots new tasks, lowering the barriers to automation deployment and suggesting that ease of use and adaptability are increasingly valued in the market.
The conference's expanded focus on education, women's leadership, and emerging talent—including the Education Pavilion, A3 NextGen Theater, and Women's Empowerment Forum—indicates that the industry recognizes workforce development as critical to sustained growth. These initiatives suggest that as automation expands beyond traditional manufacturing into new sectors and roles, industry players are working to cultivate and diversify the talent pipeline needed to design, deploy, and maintain these systems.
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