The increased attendance meant good news for the 333 exhibitors on the show floor and signaled for many that the electronics industry, “ … has clearly turned the corner and factories clearly want to make improvements,” said Shana Bliss, vice president of sales & marketing for Bliss Industries. "Our booth was packed with customers all three days of the show,” added Bliss. “Customers came to the show to find solutions and we were ready with our line of carts, racks and Smart Handling Solutions. As always, IPC did an amazing job putting on the biggest and best show of the year … Bliss Industries will certainly be back in 2011."
Michael Konrad, president, Aqueous Technologies Corp. agrees. “This year's show hailed a visible end to the recession with crowded aisles and buying customers,” he said. “Historically, IPC APEX has been our strongest show in North America and this year was particularly strong. We took four purchase orders for equipment on the show floor, and received a sizable lead count.”
For attendees, the increased participation meant more networking, more valued dialogue in technical sessions and, in standards development committee meetings — an element unique to IPC events and vital to the industry — more input and significant progress on many industry standards. In addition, the exhibition is a show highlight that opens new opportunities and has a significant impact on attendees’ buying decisions, “Being able to see multiple vendors and their equipment is invaluable to my decision to buy and/or upgrade my assembly line. It is great to see equipment in the range that I am looking for … so that I can truly evaluate what I need both now and in the future,” said Shawn Vike, vice president of operations, Pathway Connectivity Inc. In a post-show survey, nearly 75 percent of respondents indicated that the exhibition influences their buying choices throughout the year.
In addition to celebrating the increased attendance, the event marked the 10-year anniversary of IPC APEX and acknowledged APEX10 exhibitors and attendees who have participated every year since the show’s launch in 2000.
IPC APEX EXPO will return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, April 12–14, 2011. Academics, researchers and others who wish to submit an abstract for consideration in next year’s technical conference or courses, may visit http://www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/cfp to view the 2011 IPC APEX EXPO Call for Participation.
About IPC
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 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 $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.