Even as China continues to rocket up the global manufacturing charts, a mere one percent behind current runners-up Japan, the general assumption from the public is that China, rather conversely, already stands tall as the global leader when it comes to manufacturing. Yet the simple truth is this: America's torch still burns brightly as the world's number one manufacturing country – out producing China by a stagerring 40 percent. And how have they done it? By maintaining higher levels of productivity and quality with a leaner manufacturing force concentrated on specialized labor.

But with President Obama detailing at his State of the Union policy last year that the US "cant just stand still" for a better future – and with the services industry unable to take sole charge and push things forward – it's clear that the revival of North America's economy will lie in its capacity to manufacture.

However, with China already hanging onto the coattails of the US when it comes to manufacturing output figures, and as US manufacturing in general loses ground to its services sector – dropping roughly eight million jobs since 1979 – resting on its laurels is not an option. From supply chain VPs and Directors to CTOs and Operations Directors, manufacturers have to step up to the plate to, at the very least, match Obama's ambitious target to double US exports by 2014 in an effort ot boost employment. But the only way this can be achieved is through an increase in manufactuerd exports and plenty of heavy investment right across the board.

Manufacturers are an essential souce of innovation, accounting for more than two-thirds of all R&D in the US – and with the sector gradually expanding after the recession, pushing the envelope once more to generate growth and stay ahead of the pack is the top priority. With such an array of responsibilities, it is vital that today's C-level manufacturing executives not only know how to adapt and innovate within an evolving market, but can take charge of their processes – from production and automation to supply chain and logistics – and lead an entire workforce towards a more secure future.

The NG Manufacturing Summit US is designed specifically with C-level manufcturing executives in mind, assisting forward-thinking in the context of challenging demands.

The NG Manufacturing Summit US will serve to bring together senior executives who are currently investing in innovative solutions that will positively impact their bottom line and solution providers who will need to position themselves at those precise investment hot-spots in order to reap the benefits.

Along with our advisory Board, GDS has elected the most well respected C-level executives in the US. Along with our exclusive partners at IDC, we have invited those who not only have the financial reserves to weather the current economic climate, but who are actually increasing their spending in 2011.

Invitations are based on the investments these executives are currently making in the manufacturing market. And, as many of the executives attending have already worked closely with us through our Advisory Board, their commitment to the Summit is only set to prove invaluable.

The Summit itself will provide a number of different channels to execute and promote business, with our business model focused on the success of targeting one-to-one business meetings and original, interactive workshops. Furthermore, by limiting participation of our sponsoring companies working in the areas our executives have identified as priority spending items for 2011, we ensure that meetings remain as relevant as possible for both executives and sponsors alike.

Why Manufacturing?

Whilst the US remains the world's largest manufacturing economy, consistently producing 22 percent of the world's manufactured goods for the past 30 years, its employed population has dwindled significantly. Today, manufacturing workers constitute a mere 10 percent of the US workforce. And, as the role of the manufacturer continues to grow into a new decade, minimizing costs whilst maintaining operational expansion for economic recovery remains a top priority for the industry. By effectively implementing innovative principles and solutions like Lean and Six Sigma – as well as maximizing synergy with other departments and improving process sustainability – manufacturers can provide overall corporate growth and make sure their companies maintain a competitive edge amongst their competitors.

After the main business benefits have been defined and understood, C-level manufacturing executives want to see a true value proposition in front of them instead of the soft-spined offerings of previous decades. A shift towards high-tech, highly specialized goods made by a smaller but far more efficient workforce has enabled vendors to match them with equivalent solutions and industry intelligence. But just crunching numbers isn't enough. For the Next Generation manufacturing executive, solution providers are more that just providers – they're the other half of the puzzle.

And as the other half of the puzzle, solution providers have to understand that a true value proposition is quantifiable, with hard, tangible, grounded numbers framed within financial metrics that executives can understand and use verbatim to make decisions. The bottom line? Astute solution providers understand the need to pitch the budget holder and adapt to meet the necessary demands – and GDS can offer them a well executed, market-leading opportunity to do so face-to-face.

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