The Creators Wanted Tour, a joint project of the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute, set new records at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – the Indianapolis 500.
By the numbers: The 17th tour stop, generously sponsored by Snap-On, allowed nearly 1,600 young fans and their families to experience modern manufacturing firsthand.
- In addition, more than 72,000 students and career mentors registered online to learn more about manufacturing careers.
- To date, more than 10,000 students have participated in the immersive experience since its launch in October 2021, with 84% of participants reporting an enhanced view of modern manufacturing careers. Online registrations have already exceeded 1.3 million.
What they are saying: “‘Creators Wanted’ is a critical message for all young people, parents, caregivers and educators across our country,” said Snap-on President and CEO Nick Pinchuk, who is also a member of the executive committee of NAM and member of the board of MI.
- “Snap-on is proud to bring the Creators Wanted Tour to IMS and the Indianapolis 500, showing younger racing fans and their families that manufacturing is an exciting place where opportunities abound, careers are rewarding and lives are filled with pride in being a part of something bigger than yourself,” he continued.
- Jay Timmons, NAM president and CEO and MI board chairman, added, “The world’s largest single-day sporting event met the nation’s largest manufacturing campaign and increased the ‘enthusiasm for modern manufacturing in a big way with more students and their families.’
Behind the cameras: In addition to the Creators Wanted experience at Fan Midway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), fans also enjoyed other interactive exhibits.
- These included: Snap-on’s “Makers and Fixers” tent; Honda’s racing simulator and fleet of vehicles; the IMS Kids Zone where young fans raced on their own track; and FactoryFix’s activities and resources to help people find their way into manufacturing careers, including their work through CreatorsWanted.org.
- “Seeing the people of Indy interested in our ‘Creators Wanted’ campaign was a great validation of the research and testing we did to come up with the name for this effort,” said Erin Streeter, Executive Vice President of the NAM. “When parents and kids asked us about the kind of creators we need in manufacturing, it just showed how well our message fits.”
- The NAM video team captured some of the fan sentiment with this video.
The general picture: “These tour stops often serve as the first interaction individuals have with NAM and MI, and the impression is powerful,” said Chrys Kefalas, NAM’s managing vice president of brand strategy. “These meaningful personal interactions create lasting impressions and underscore the value of the industry.”
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