FEATURE COLUMNS: Join Us for IPC APEX EXPO: Virtually

Join Us for IPC APEX EXPO: Virtually

One World, One Industry

Feature Column by Dr. John Mitchell, IPC—ASSOCIATION CONNECTING ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES

As many of you know, IPC APEX EXPO will be held virtually March 8–12, 2021. We look forward to producing APEX EXPO every year, and 2021 will be no different. It is our signature event, and we are committed to providing the cutting-edge content and networking opportunities that attendees have come to expect over the past 20-plus years. This year, we will just do it from a digital platform.

In person or online, our goal is to maintain IPC APEX EXPO’s position as the premier event for the electronics industry by providing far-reaching insights and ideas. The challenge we face to provide a premier networking event is also an opportunity for growth. While we pride ourselves on the networking experience our in-person event provides to our attendees, we believe that the virtual setting allows us to achieve that same goal: to offer connections, new knowledge, and important opportunities to our audience.

Because companies will not have to pay for employee travel, we hope to increase our global audience by going deeper into organizations, offering our cutting-edge content to more people. This gives us the unique opportunity to meet and connect with a broader audience while increasing our reach in the industry.

IPC APEX EXPO will still be the place to connect and collaborate as the digital platform will allow attendees to easily navigate more than 100 technical conference sessions and application-focused professional development courses as well as view product demonstrations, schedule one-on-one meetings with exhibitors, and experience other offerings within the online exhibition.

This year, IPC will bring experts together to help companies transform and modernize as we look toward the future of electronics manufacturing. Our Technical Conference reflects

that transformation by offering a three-track educational event, featuring:

•Factory of the Future Implementation:

This is complete with brand new technical sessions to help you modernize your facility on such topics as cybersecurity, data analytics, connected factory and digital twin.

•PCB Fabrication and Materials:

Sessions on microvia reliability, PCB design, PCB reliability and PCB advancements.

•Quality, Reliability, Test, and Inspection:

Covering automotive electronics, electronics materials, assembly, coating, and assembly design. •Technical Sessions: Will include opportunities to ask questions live at the scheduled time, and content from the sessions will be available on demand for 90 days following the event.

This year’s virtual professional development program includes something for everyone. Whether it’s advanced classes exploring the details and depth of specific topics, or informative classes catering to engineers ready to improve their careers, we’ve got courses for every role and experience level.

In terms of a virtual exhibition experience, GoExpo’s virtual event space and setup allows you to learn, connect, and collaborate as if you were there in person. Thanks to this year’s allvirtual format, it’s easier than ever to attend IPC APEX EXPO, which means incredible opportunities to meet with and learn from industry insiders across the globe.

This year’s virtual professional development program includes something for everyone.

Within GoExpo, you can: •Create your personal profile •Log into the event •Search for friends, peers, and exhibitors •Request to connect one-on-one

As IPC APEX EXPO 2021 goes virtual, face-to-face standards development meetings scheduled for March 2021 will also be moving to a virtual environment. Each IPC staff liaison will work with committee leaders to select a time for their meeting. Following the SummerCom 2020 model, the meetings will be spread over a few weeks, so as not to conflict with the technical conference sessions. We will start posting meetings this month.

While we won’t be able to meet each other in-person this year, I hope you will take advantage of the opportunities to network virtually and participate in live Q&As with speakers and instructors during professional development courses and the Technical Conference. I hope you’ll spend some time talking to IPC Hall of Famers and Emerging Engineers and interact with new and experienced managers at the Managers Forum. I encourage you to test your knowledge at our virtual trivia event.

Your involvement in IPC APEX EXPO is directly responsible for the show’s success. We appreciate your flexibility, dedication, and input as we move from an in-person event to one that offers a vibrant virtual program.

I hope that you’ll join us March 8-12 for what promises to be an exciting virtual event. For information on how to take advantage of all that IPC APEX EXPO has to offer, visit www. ipcapexexpo.org. SMT007

Dr. John Mitchell is president and CEO of IPC. To read past columns or contact him, click here.