Formnext Asia Shenzhen adds Maker Day and channel matching to 2026 program

Formnext Asia Shenzhen’s 2026 edition will extend its additive manufacturing program beyond the show floor, introducing two new formats aimed at the communities and sales channels through which 3D printing reaches new users. The event runs alongside an expanded slate of programming for desktop 3D printing, including the upgraded China 3D Print Farm and Consumer-Grade AM Ecosystem Conference.

The first addition, Formnext Asia Shenzhen Maker Day, takes place on August 27 and is co-organized with TroubleMaker, a Shenzhen-based hardware venture platform for makers and product developers. The day connects Chinese and international maker networks with Shenzhen’s hardware sector through an open-exchange forum and a series of exhibitions and off-site visits.

Welcome to Maker Day

Maker Day includes three components. The Maker Open Mic gives makers, industry experts and representatives from 3D printing brands a forum to exchange experiences on model preparation, print setup, materials and post-processing. The Maker Tour guides visitors through the exhibition floor, stopping at exhibitors showing AI design tools and desktop systems for 3D printing, CNC milling, engraving and UV printing. A set of factory tours will take visitors to production facilities run by Greater Bay Area desktop 3D printing manufacturers, with participating companies to be named closer to the event.

The second addition, the Global AM Channel Partner & Dealer Matching Meeting, targets distribution rather than production. Co-organized by AM-E-DAO, a specialized media and consultancy platform, and with advisory support from the Going-Global Working Group of the Additive Manufacturing Alliance of China (AMAC), the meeting pairs international AM distributors, dealers, and service providers with Chinese 3D printing companies seeking overseas partners. It runs as part of the returning Overseas Market Opportunities for Chinese 3D Printing Companies Seminar.

Pairings will weigh the AM process, product fit, application areas and partnership terms covering representation, maintenance and after-sales service. Overseas channel partners with established local sales networks in relevant AM markets can apply for complimentary hotel accommodation through the matching program’s registration form, with places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis subject to document review.

Targeting consumer 3D printing at 360°

Formerly the China 3D Print Farm Conference, the renamed China 3D Print Farm and Consumer-Grade AM Ecosystem Conference will widen its focus from print farm operations to the broader business activity around desktop 3D printing, covering equipment, materials, software, content creation, sales channels and printed-product businesses. New session topics include AI-assisted design and content generation, production scheduling, material development, branding, cross-border e-commerce and channel development, with application tracks covering toys, home décor, personalized products, fashion, footwear and small-batch industrial production.

The exhibition area for consumer additive manufacturing at the conference will feature title sponsor Meshy AI, along with desktop equipment and production-solution providers Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo, Flashforge, Longer, Snapmaker, TwoTrees, and Xhorse, as well as AI modeling and software companies DreamTech, Tripo AI, Deep-Mesh, Hi3D, and Hyper3D.

Concurrent forums running through the event will cover metal AM for 3C electronics and smartphones, footwear, mold making, binder jetting, lasers in AM, thermal management, robotics and aerospace, spanning Asia’s manufacturing and end-user markets. Selected sessions, including the two new programs, will include English-language interpretation.

Formnext Asia Shenzhen is organized by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co., Ltd. as part of the international Formnext event family. The next Formnext will take place in Frankfurt, Germany, from November 17 to 20, 2026.