Apr 22, 2011 
Attendees Travel from 52 Countries to Learn About New Technologies and Products and Participate in Standards Development
The number of attendees at the educational programs and exhibition grew an additional five percent over last year to 3,887, but most notably, 20 percent more of these attendees participated in the technical conference and/or professional development courses.
The largest event in North America dedicated to the electronic interconnect industry, IPC APEX EXPO saw a sizable increase in international attendance, representing 52 countries and nearly 20 percent of all attendees. "International attendees are participating in the conference and courses in growing numbers, as well as the industry’s all-important standards development meetings," says Denny McGuirk, IPC president & CEO. An activity unique to IPC events, standards setting is vital to the global electronics industry. McGuirk explains that as more industry leaders participate in standards meetings through IPC groups such as TGAsia and TGNordic, these individuals, he says, "… understand the value of face-to-face networking with their colleagues around the world to develop industry best practices."
The increased attendance was also met with increased participation from companies on the show floor with 366 exhibitors, a 10 percent increase over 2010, spanning 112,820 square feet of exhibit space. The exhibition makes life for attendees like Steve Draws, a procurement professional with Plexus Corp., much easier. “This show is invaluable in helping me to research and evaluate products, and to make sensible, money-saving decisions on purchases for my company.” More than 78 percent of respondents to the IPC APEX EXPO postshow survey agree with Draws, indicating that the exhibition influences their buying choices throughout the year.
To help attendees sort through the information overload of the packed exhibition, IPC introduced “My APEX EXPO” this year, an online personalized show planner to help attendees effectively plan their itinerary to focus on their companies’ priorities.
“We were extremely pleased with a very steady flow of visitors in our booth, all three days,” says Scott Rushia, sales manager for Martin. “It was a good combination of people who came to the exhibition with Martin and Finetech rework systems on their prepared research list, as well as others who discovered us on the show floor. The days were full of relevant demos and we took some orders at the show.”
“APEX 2011 was the best show we have ever had at APEX,” extolls Bob Black, president & CEO of Juki. “The booth was consistently crowded and we received double the sales inquiries of last year. APEX is clearly the flagship show of the circuit assembly industry."
INVENTEC Performance Chemicals (worldwide headquarters in France) also saw an increase in business. “With a 5 percent plus compared to 2010, the show in 2011 was a real success for us," says Anke Sandra Meunier, communication manager for INVENTEC. "In addition, our two conference sessions, on cleaning PCBs and solder paste reliability, generated interesting technical feedback. APEX is always a great international show for us."
Next year, IPC APEX EXPO trades in the bright lights of Las Vegas for the warm Pacific breezes of San Diego, February 28–March 1, 2012. Academics, researchers and others who wish to submit an abstract for consideration in next year’s technical conference or professional development courses, may view the 2012 IPC APEX EXPO Call for Participation at http://www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/cfp.
IPC (http://www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,900 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.85 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; and Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, China.
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