In the original version of “Ocean’s 11,” Dean Martin’s character Sam Harmon hears of the plans to rob five Las Vegas casinos and tells Frank Sinatra, “Why don’t you guys believe me when I tell you the percentage is always with the house?”
To which Sinatra, as Danny Ocean, replies, “The percentage is with the people who are rigging the game, and in this case, it’s us.”
Welcome to the 2020 International Fluid Power Exposition. It’s a sure bet.
The Sands, the Riviera, and Desert Inn, the Sahara and the Flamingo were the five casinos highlighted in the original “Ocean’s 11” movie. Today, only the Flamingo still exists, yet the basic rules of Las Vegas are still in play: If you’re running the game, you have the advantage.
The triennial IFPE event offers fluid power industry leaders and practitioners an unbeatable trifecta at the 2020 event at the Las Vegas Convention Center: networking, education and innovation. The 2020 show promises more than 400 exhibitors and tens of thousands of industry practitioners. The opportunities to gather new knowledge, to make new acquaintances and to see the latest new products and solutions make Las Vegas in March an irresistible draw.
Hydraulic & Pneumatics will be a major part of that attraction. We’ll offer ice cream and information at our booth, S80160, on Wed., March 12 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. After that you can segue from ice cream to the IFPE Power Hour, sponsored by the National Fluid Power association and presented by Bosch Rexroth from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This event will continue the opportunity to network with your industry peers and soak up the entertainment and further refreshments. For what is Las Vegas without some fun, entertainment and refreshments?
Past all the glitz and glamor are some important opportunities, and some necessary discussions. The physics of hydraulics haven’t changed much over the years, yet the applications continue to grow and the technology continues to expand. In the three years since IFPE last convened in Las Vegas, the industry changes have been profound. As IFPE 2020 chairman David Price of HydraForce tells H&P exclusively this month, “The amount of change that has occurred over the last three years cannot be overstated. Machines developed for today’s markets need to be the perfect blend of efficient and productive in order to remain competitive in today’s market.”
Price said that while economic and technology issues continue to dominate the discussion, the committee has been working to put on an event that addresses those issues head-on. “The wealth of networking and educational experiences is truly unmatched in our industry and both the (Association for Equipment Manufacturers) and the NFPA have done everything in their power to ensure that every type of visitor can add value to their careers and organizations by attending this show,” Price told H&P. “This show offers a great chance for visitors to see the best practices and components of the present day and provide a unique glimpse into the future of our industry.”
If you stand on the show floor at IFPE, you will have the perfect vantage point to gaze into the future of the fluid power industry. In large booths and small, there will be the ideas and the energy will be there—for what is fluid power but the efficient harnessing of energy?
H&P will bring back all the highlights every day for you from this event. You can follow show highlights on our website at hydraulicspnematics.com and through our newsletters, and we’ll have a full report from IFPE in our April issue. But the best place to not just see the future but to affect change in the industry is at IFPE. That will be the center of the action. That is the place to place your bet on the future of this industry, and to ensure your company stays on the winning side of the ledger.
The only way to lose is not to participate in IFPE, and to not get involved with organizations such as NFPA. For those who do push their chips into the middle of the table, they’ll be rewarded.
Danny Ocean was right: The percentage is with the people who are in the game.
