Connected Manufacturing Forum 2026
June 15 - 16, 2026
Ritz-Carlton St. Louis
Robert Bray
Vice President Autodesk
Monday, June 15, 2026
8:40 AM Keynote Panel: Factory Lifecycle Planning: Marching Toward Complete Digital Automation
Discover how forward-thinking manufacturers are leveraging digital twins, predictive analytics, and integrated planning platforms to optimize every stage of the factory lifecycle. We’ll explore real-world examples of how digital automation reduces downtime, enhances agility, and drives sustainable growth.
Whether you're overseeing legacy systems/plants, building greenfield operations or a combination of both, this session will equip you with the strategic insights needed to future-proof your manufacturing enterprise and lead your organization into the era of intelligent automation.
Key Takeaways:
• Building a strategic roadmap for end-to-end digital factory transformation
• Best practices for integrating automation across lifecycle stages
• Identifying executive-level metrics to measure ROI and operational impact
• Exploring emerging technologies reshaping factory planning and execution
12:00 PM Partner-Led Roundtables: Technology Solutions Enabling Digital Transformation
Table 1: Closing the Gap Between Predictive Insights and Maintenance Action
Predictive maintenance and condition monitoring can tell you what might happen. Operational excellence requires acting on it. For manufacturing leaders navigating complexity across sites, the real challenge isn't just visibility, it's execution.
This interactive round table invites you to exchange perspectives on how to translate machine health insights into coordinated, measurable action across maintenance, operations, and leadership teams.
Together, we'll explore what separates organizations that generate alerts from those that drive outcomes.
Steve Gierden, Condition Monitoring Engineer, AssetWatch
Table 2: Hosted by Autodesk
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Topics Could Include:
• Surfing the Silver Tsunami: How to Glide Through the Challenges of a Shifting Workforce
• Driving Operational Excellence and Safety: The Role of Connected Worker Solutions in Modern Manufacturing
• Harnessing AI in Manufacturing Beyond "Chat GPT"
• Optimizing Supply Chain for E2E Transparency and Forecasting
Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Robert.
Download The Latest Agenda