Attending the Automation Fair event hosted by Rockwell Automation and its PartnerNetwork members is an annual tradition for thousands in the manufacturing and industrial production sector who need to stay current and informed on the most effective new technologies and strategies for their processes and operations.

It is where a system architect can meet with an oil executive to discuss the challenges and opportunities around subsea oil drilling and production, an operations manager can learn how to harness big data, or a machine builder can learn the latest in network security.

Rockwell Automation and its PartnerNetwork members will host the 2013 Automation Fair event Nov. 13 and 14 in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The industry-leading event offers learning and networking opportunities for attendees to hear about the latest in discrete and process control technologies that help enable effective and energy-efficient global automation solutions. With the Automation Fair event in the heart of oil and gas country for the first time, Rockwell Automation also will feature an oil and gas pavilion with a large control-room simulation, cutting-edge customer cloud-computing applications, and a variety of industry-specific hardware and equipment.

"During the next decade, emerging market countries will contribute more growth than developed nations, and as a result, long-term demand continues to grow for resources, such as oil and gas, and manufactured goods," said Keith Nosbusch, chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation. "Whether their customer base is located primarily in emerging or developed markets, attendees can learn how to make the most of their automation, process control and information opportunities."

Attendees will be able to visit more than 100 exhibits from Rockwell Automation, its PartnerNetwork members, universities and industry media. They can experience the latest products firsthand at 19 hands-on labs and participate in any of the 16 demonstration workshops or 83 technical sessions available. The event also will feature experts and customers at eight industry forums, which will demonstrate how to reduce product-development cycles, lower production costs, and meet changing regulation. The industries represented include automotive and tire, engineering and consultants, food and beverage, global machine and equipment builders, marine, oil and gas, power and energy management, specialty chemicals and water/wastewater.

The Automation Fair event extends beyond the two days of exhibitions to the Automation Perspectives global media forum and the Process Solutions User Group annual meeting.

The Automation Perspectives global media forum will be held Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the theme, "Leveraging Technology to Transcend Industrial Business Barriers." Commercial technological innovations, like mobile devices, cloud computing and virtualization, are quickly migrating into production facilities. With these new technologies come opportunities to improve efficiencies in everything from production itself to energy management, bringing in a new era of energy abundance - but it's not without potential risk. Organizations need to better understand how to securely integrate new technologies into their industrial environment and fully tap into data that can improve their business. Speakers at the 2013 Automation Perspectives global media forum will address how new technologies are shaping the global energy landscape and enabling companies to make their operations more smart, productive, secure and sustainable - all while managing the risks.

As part of the Automation Fair week, Rockwell Automation will also host its annual Process Solutions User Group meeting on Nov. 11 and 12 for members of the process industry to exchange ideas with peers and discover solutions to application issues. The meeting will include 24 customer presentations and more than 20 educational sessions. The roadmap discussion at the event will help determine the development priorities and technical roadmap for the PlantPAx process automation system.

To register for the Automation Fair event, the Process Solutions User Group meeting or the Automation Perspectives global media forum, visit http://www.automationfair.com.

About the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork Framework

The Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork framework offers global manufacturers access to a collaborative network of companies mutually focused on developing, implementing and supporting best-in-breed solutions to achieve plantwide optimization, improve machine performance, and meet sustainability objectives.