There’s more to discover beyond the exhibits. Build the Discovery Theater into your Expo agenda for interactive sessions that invite you to join the discussion, ask questions and explore new ideas alongside fellow attendees. Hear from Rockwell Automation, PartnerNetwork™ members, customers and industry experts as they bring emerging developments and new directions into focus.
Discovery Theater
Bold thinking, live from the Expo floor
Hear Rockwell Automation, partners and industry experts unpack the trends, technologies and ideas moving industrial operations forward.
Discovery Theater Agenda
Times are subject to change
- Tuesday, November 17
- Wednesday, November 18
- Thursday, November 19
Tuesday, November 17
| 11:15am-11:45am | DT02 - Maximizing Warehouse Efficiency Using Rockwell’s AOP and Itoh Denki IB-E Controllers | Itoh Denki’s Add-On-Profile with Rockwell Automation allows our IB-E network controllers to be easily programmed using a PLC to provide the zone accumulation logic required by today’s MDR conveyors. Explore how the AOP also allows for ease of access to preventative maintenance including individual motor operational status and real time amperage, voltage, and speed monitoring. Remaining motor life is now visible to upper-level controls based on historical operational parameters. |
| 12:00pm-12:30pm | DT03 - Beyond Copilots: Introducing FactoryTalk® Conductor™ | Your engineering workflows are about to change. Today's automation projects require engineers to move between tools, manually inputting information, managing workflows and applying expertise across every stage of development. This era of disconnected engineering tasks is giving way to intelligent orchestration, and leading the way is FactoryTalk® Conductor™. Discover how FactoryTalk Conductor coordinates AI agents across products, workflows and lifecycle stages, transforming disconnected tasks into a single augmented engineering interface experience. |
| 3:15pm-3:45pm | DT05 - Safety: What to Consider When Designing Your Enclosure to Ensure the Highest Level of Safety | Enclosures are designed to maximize uptime and offer protection. What aspects should you consider when designing and selecting options for your application to ensure worker and equipment safety? In this session we will discuss those options and why you should standardize them. |
| 4:00pm-4:30pm | DT06 - FactoryTalk® Orchestration™: The Engine Behind Autonomous Material Flow | Explore how FactoryTalk® Orchestration™ enables autonomous production logistics by connecting AMRs, automation assets, and enterprise systems into a unified workflow. See how manufacturers can automate material movement, improve responsiveness, reduce complexity, and optimize operations through real-time coordination across the plant. |
Wednesday, November 18
| 10:30am-11:00am | DT07 - Bold Conversations: The Human Edge - Inclusion, AI, and the Future of Innovation | AI has the potential to transform how we work, but innovation thrives when people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and think differently. In this discussion, we'll explore the connection between an inclusive culture, psychological safety and AI adoption, including how to encourage experimentation, challenge AI-generated outputs, and ensure that diverse perspectives remain part of decision-making. |
| 11:15am-11:45am | DT08 - Pro Series Graphic Terminals: Modernize Visualization, Empower Operators | See how PanelView™ Pro and OptixPanel™ Pro are helping manufacturers reimagine industrial visualization. Join this engaging session to explore the latest capabilities designed to simplify modernization, deliver a more intuitive operator experience, and support connected operations. Learn how these powerful graphic terminals provide the performance, flexibility, and lifecycle value needed to drive smarter, data-driven manufacturing. |
| 12:00pm-12:30pm | DT09 - Automation Fair 2026 ROKathon Winner — Behind the Winning Solution | The winner of the second annual ROKathon will be named live on the Expo show floor. Don’t miss this chance to join the winning ROKathon team and hear firsthand about their peer-reviewed solution and their experience. With plenty of time for Q&A, they’ll share how they came to solve for the fictional A-Bee Honey’s bottling line performance challenge. See how they used tools across ML/AI, energy management, DataOps, cloud, cybersecurity and more to bring home the gold. Learn more about ROKathon. |
| 1:00pm-1:30pm | DT10 - Digital Transformation in Industrial Automation: Lessons from a Customer Implementation | What does digital transformation look like in practice? Join this session for a real-world customer story that traces the journey from manual, disconnected processes to a more integrated and automated operation enabled by digital engineering software, standardized data workflows, and automation technologies. Through an anonymized case study, you'll gain practical insights into the challenges, implementation approach, operator adoption, and lessons learned along the way. Discover measurable improvements in efficiency, consistency, and throughput, and take away proven strategies for scaling automation and driving long-term operational growth and manufacturing modernization. |
| 1:45pm-2:15pm | DT11 - An OEM's Cybersecurity Journey From Compliance Pressure to Competitive Advantage | Cybersecurity is now a business requirement for OEMs. Join this session to explore how SecureOT for OEMs helps address secure product development, regulatory readiness, and lifecycle risk management. Hear real-world insights on challenges, lessons learned, and how a strategic cybersecurity program can reduce risk, increase customer confidence, and create competitive differentiation. |
| 2:30pm-3:00pm | DT12 - Why Climate Control Matters for Enclosure Applications | Industrial enclosures house critical automation systems, making effective climate control essential for reliability and uptime. Excess heat and moisture degrade components and increase risk. This session highlights how proper enclosure climate control protects assets, supports modern automation architectures, and enables safer, more resilient industrial operations. |
| 3:15pm-3:45pm | DT13 - Inside a Global Lighthouse: Lessons from Rockwell’s Factory of the Future | What does it take to join the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network? Rockwell Automation’s Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Bob Buttermore delivers a behind-the-scenes look at the technologies, people, and processes that have transformed the company’s Singapore plant into a global benchmark for productivity, quality, and workforce enablement. Learn how digital twins, software-defined automation, AI, robotics, and a disciplined focus on outcomes help pave the way for the factory of the future. |
| 4:00pm-4:30pm | DT14 - Energy Savings and Sustainability in Motor Driven Roller Conveyors | Motor driven roller (MDR) conveyors have a 60% energy savings when compared to traditional conveyors. MDR conveyors use low voltage 24V DC power and zoned operation, allowing rollers to start and stop as needed. Photo sensors in each zone detect the presence of articles in the zone upstream, and begin roller operation in the downstream zone to receive the article being conveyed. This is called Run On Demand technology and it is vital for today’s modern warehouses. |
Thursday, November 19
| 9:00am-9:30am | DT15 - Bold Conversations: The Real ROI of Inclusion | Innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. It happens when people with different experiences, perspectives, and ideas come together to solve problems. In this Bold Conversation, we'll discuss how inclusive workplaces contribute to stronger teams, better solutions, increased engagement, and business success. Together, we'll explore the real-world impact of inclusion and why it remains a critical driver of performance in a rapidly changing world. |
| 9:45am-10:15am | DT16 - Future of Industrial Automation – Network Infrastructure – Advanced Wireless | This discussion will cover how advanced wireless technologies are being applied to address operational challenges related to the Future of Industrial Automation. Featuring customer perspectives from Rockwell Automation Industry Experts, the discussion will cover a practical discovery process for defining requirements and success criteria, Private 5G decision criteria and architecture considerations, and deployment approaches that account for security, scalability, and operationalization. |
| 10:30am-11:00am | DT17 - From Schematic to System: Data-Driven Engineering with EPLAN and Rockwell Software | Using Eplan, your schematics already hold the data others rebuild by hand. See how EPLAN exchanges I/O data, hardware configuration, and network topology with Studio 5000 via AML; how wiring data via XML speeds up the creation Emulate3D models and provides new power-flow simulation and virtual commissioning benefits; and how Preplanning P&IDs export as MTP can jump-start FactoryTalk Optix visualization. Less rework. Faster path from design to up and running system. |
| 11:15am-11:45am | DT18 - Digital Twins and AI Start in the Field | Join ExxonMobil for an open and engaging discussion on the real-world challenges of improving operations through standardization, equipment optimization, and operational excellence. Hear lessons learned from initiatives that have enhanced reliability, safety, sustainability, and overall business performance. Learn how these foundational efforts are creating opportunities for digital twins and AI to deliver measurable value, support better decision-making, and drive continuous improvement across operations. |
| 12:00pm-12:30pm | DT19 - What Happens When Machine Innovation Starts with the Controls Architecture? | ATS Industrial Automation and Rockwell Automation sit down for a fireside chat on the story behind the ATS Adaptable Platform and the partnership that helped bring it to life. Learn how ATS leverages Rockwell's Compact Performance Architecture, including CompactLogix 5390 controllers, ArmorKinetix distributed motion, and PointMax I/O, as the foundation for a flexible, modular automation platform. The discussion will also explore how ATS Sync technology enables new approaches to machine design and synchronized motion, helping deliver significant throughput improvements in demanding applications. Through real-world examples, discover how technology partnerships can unlock productivity, flexibility, and innovation for modern manufacturers. |
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