Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Punching Out: Your Financial Preparation for a Sale
Nolan's Notes: The Next Killer App in Component Manufacturing
Dallas SMTA Expo: Open for Business
March 30, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
After a two-year hiatus, Dallas SMTA Expo and Tech Forum returned to the Plano Event Center in Plano, Texas on March 22, 2022. Even tornadoes that touched down the night before the show couldn’t keep attendees away.
This year’s theme was “Texas is Open for Business,” and the turnout seemed to reflect that observation. We saw a steady stream of attendees arriving throughout the day, and most of them stayed through the barbecue lunch and happy hour, which began at 1 pm.
As Dallas SMTA Chapter President Gary Tanel explained, starting happy hour earlier in the day makes perfect sense—exhibitors say that’s when they get the most high-quality leads. (Think about any trade show you’ve attended.)
This year also marked the first time that exhibitors were able to set up the day before the show instead of that same morning, which drove the stress level down quite a bit for them. This year’s show boasted more exhibitors than ever before, with 94 companies listed.
The technical conference took place in a room just off the show floor, featuring presentations throughout the day by Gerry Partida of Summit Interconnect, Brian O’Leary of Indium, Brad Ward of Omron, and Ed Zamborsky of Thermaltronics.
Dallas SMTA Expo is becoming much more than a regional show. I met exhibitors and attendees from around the southwest, and a few from across the country. Some out-of-state visitors said they were enjoying the mask-free environment of the Lone Star State. The Plano Event Center has a configurable layout that can accommodate events of all sizes, and Gary expects next year’s show to be even bigger.
So far this year, we’ve seen strong turnout for IPC APEX EXPO and Dallas SMTA Expo. Let’s hope this is a good omen for industry events throughout 2022, and our entire industry is truly open for business.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Hunting for Clues: Feng Xue Solving Circuit Board 'Crimes' With AOI Standard
05/08/2025 | Linda Stepanich, IPCWhen residents in sleepy English villages needed a top-tier detective to solve a murder, they called on Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot, author Agatha Christie’s fictional detective famous for using his “little grey cells” to solve crimes. In the same way, IPC standards development committees, when creating a standard to detect defects in circuit boards using Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), call on IPC A-Team, Hercule.
IPC Strengthens Global Focus with Promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to Chief Global Officer
05/08/2025 | IPCIPC, the global electronics association, announces the promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to chief global officer. This newly created position reflects the association’s forward-looking strategy and industry needs to strengthen the electronics supply chain.
Navigating Global Manufacturing in an Era of Uncertainty
05/07/2025 | Philip Stoten, ScoopThe EMS industry faces unprecedented challenges as global trade tensions rise and tariff announcements create market uncertainty. In an overview of IPC Europe’s podcast, MADE IN EUROPE, industry experts from GPV and Zollner examine how these developments impact our businesses and customers, and what strategies will prevail in this new landscape.
Nick Koop Launches IPC Flex Design Class
05/06/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineNick Koop is director of flex technology for TTM Technologies, and he’s been a staple of IPC’s flex committees for decades. He’s also a longtime flex design instructor, and he’s about to debut a new IPC class, Flex and Rigid-Flex Design for Manufacturability, which will run May 12–21. In this interview, Nick tells us about this new class and what attendees can expect to learn.
The Government Circuit: Trump’s Trade War Disrupts the Electronics Ecosystem
05/06/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitThere is certainly no shortage of work to be done in the IPC Government Relations department, as the U.S. waged a tariff campaign on practically every industrial country in the world and several countries embarked on high-tech initiatives with a mix of approaches to the crucial foundations of electronics manufacturing. Indeed, the breadth and speed of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign continues to be a serious challenge for our industry.