NEPCON Texas 2004 to Feature Six Free Educational Sessions

September 9, 2004, Norwalk, CT � The NEPCON Texas electronics manufacturing tradeshow, returning to the Dallas area in October, will provide direct access to innovative solutions for every stage of the manufacturing process both on the show floor and in the conference classroom. The NEPCON exhibition will feature leading suppliers displaying the full range of electronics manufacturing solutions including adhesives, advance microelectronics, test equipment, rework, wire and cable assembly, and active components. The exhibition will take place on October 20-21, 2004, at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, TX.

Joining the NEPCON Texas 2004 event will be the Assembly Texas Pavilion, featuring automated and manual assembly solutions. Together NEPCON Texas and the Assembly Texas Pavilion will provide the region�s manufacturers with a single, convenient source for leading edge manufacturing solutions at the board, component, and final product assembly levels. The exhibition will featuring leading national suppliers such as Atlas Copco, DEK International, Deprag, JUKI Automation, MYDATA Automation, Siemens Dematic, and Universal Instruments as well as leading area rep groups such as DG Marketing, IPS Group, and Southwest

The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) will continue its association with NEPCON by producing the co-located SMTA Texas Conference program. The three-day conference begins one day earlier than the exhibition on October 19. In addition to the SMTA Texas Conference, the event will feature six free educational sessions highlighted by a free keynote presentation on Nanotechnology from Dr. Oscar Garcia of the University of North Texas.

The free educational program begins on Wednesday, October 20 at 11:00, with Dr. Garcia�s keynote, �Nano, Bio and Info: Challenges for Production and Manufacturing.� The talk will focus on the trio of Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, and Information Technology and the challenges of manufacturing commercially viable products.

Dr. Garcia is the Founding Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of North Texas.

The five other free educational sessions include:

� �Using Boundary-Scan for Testing and Programming High Density PCBs and Systems,� presented by Ray Dellecker, US Marketing Manager, JTAG Technologies, Wednesday, October 20 at 1:00 pm

� SMTA Session, �On the Road to Successful Lead-Free Implementation in Electronic Assembly - A Panel Discussion,� Moderated by Gary Tanel, Elcoteq, Wednesday, October 20, 2004 at 1:30 pm

� �Original Design Manufacturers: A Viable Outsourcing Alternative with Distinct Business Practices,� presented by Eric Miscoll, Senior Consultant and Chief Operating Officer, Technology Forecasters, Inc., Thursday, October 21 at 11:00 am

� SMTA General Meeting, �New and Emerging Technologies,� presented by Dr. Dan Baldwin, Engent, Inc., Thursday, October 21 at 12:00 pm

� �Manufacturing Simulation Game,� presented by Rodney S. Cook, CPIM, President; and Randy Napier, CPIM, President-Elect, APICS Greater Fort Worth Chapter, Thursday, October 21 at 1:00 pm

The SMTA Texas Conference will provide conferees with the answers they need to stay competitive in today�s market. The comprehensive program is made up of full and half-day Academy courses as well as the three-day SMTA - SMT Process Certification Program. The SMTA is pleased to be bringing their certification program to Texas. The comprehensive program provides the knowledge, skills, study materials and examination that will allow participants to be recognized as an SMTA Certified Process Engineer.

SMTA Academy sessions include:

� Surface Mount Technology Fundamentals

� Lead-Free Rework: Just Turn Up the Temperature?

� Best Practices in Implementing Lead-Free Assembly

� Flip Chip Processing and Technology Using No Flow Underfills

� Embed Resistors and Capacitors in Circuit Boards Now

The Metroplex Technology Business Council of Richardson, Texas supports NEPCON Texas. The MTBC is an association of technology companies dedicated to the development and growth of a global center of excellence for the Telecom Corridor area and the North Texas region.

For more information about NEPCON Texas and to register for free show admission please visit http://www.nepcontexas.com.

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world�s largest organizer of business-to-business events. Each year Reed plans and executes approximately 50 events in the U.S. and Canada, serving 25 different industries and over a half million professionals. Reed shows are often the leading event in their industry, and Reed has the highest number of top 200 shows ranked by Trade Show Week magazine. A member of the Reed Elsevier plc group, a world-leading business and information provider, Reed offers integrated market access programs covering exhibitions, trade publications, direct marketing and the Internet over a database of 3.5 million in North America. Headquartered in Norwalk, CT, Reed also has offices in Newton, MA, Palm Beach, FL, Las Vegas, NV and Toronto, ONT (Canada). (NYSE:RUK/ENL)