Most of us are focused on the biennial LASER World of PHOTONICS tradeshow, set to take place June 26-29, 2017, in Munich. For those of us in the Western world, this is THE show for production laser processing equipment. It is a must-see for advanced laser material processing, and four days is actually not enough to adequately cover the hundreds of exhibitors in four halls.
Making the Munich show even more interesting is the accompanying World of Photonics Congress, held in adjacent halls. Problem is, one can't do both events in the time allowed. The Congress has about 3000 scientific and practically oriented lectures over five days, from June 25th to the 29th.
If you are both technical- and equipment-oriented, you will have to ration your time to allow attendance at specific sessions or at the tradeshow. You can't easily bounce back between the Congress and the tradeshow, as the distance traveled will wear you out over the event days. Take it from one who has tried—it's a chore—especially when on your trip, a random acquaintance gets your attention, causing the already-tight schedule to be totally disrupted.
That said, both events are packed with industrial laser material processing-related offerings—well worth a carefully selected schedule to cover as much as possible. On the do-not-miss side is Laser in Manufacturing (LiM), which focuses on the latest developments and future trends in the field of laser materials processing. I also single out the carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) processing (a hot topic right now) and Additive Manufacturing session arranged by the Laser Institute of America.
Look over the Congress sessions and preferential exhibitor locations, and plan your schedule accordingly. Trust me—it will make your time in Munich more enjoyable.