SMTAI: Packed With Content!

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

We’re now in trade show season, and SMTA International is coming up at the end of this month, so I asked SMTA President Martin Anselm to discuss the show and what manufacturing professionals should expect to take away from this event, now in its second year at the Minneapolis Convention Center. 

Andy Shaughnessy: Martin, how are you doing? Long time, no see. Now, you were recently reelected as the head of SMTA. 

Martin Anselm: Hi, Andy. Yes, it’s been a while. I am, once again, the president of the association. I was reelected this past June for another term of two years, and then my service on the board to the SMTA will be over, for a total of 10 years, believe it or not. This will make six years as a board member and four as the president of the association. Around September 2024, I'll be handing the baton to the next president of the SMTA, whoever gets elected.

Shaughnessy: Great. Now, SMTA International is around the corner. Tell us why everyone should attend SMTAI?

Anselm: SMTAI is a wonderful combination of both a very highly respected conference and an expo of the latest and greatest technology and vendors. The conference will feature over 100 papers that will be published, and there are many different tracks associated with the electronics manufacturing, test, and assembly areas. Not only will we see manufacturing, but also testing and packaging content. We even have a series of talks in the area of die-level packaging. 

Then, we have a great exposition with vendors on the show floor presenting their newest tools, equipment, and materials for our industry, so you can see what is most current to incorporate in your factories. Once again we are partnering with the MD&M Expo so our attendees will benefit from both with one registration. 

Shaughnessy: What are some of the takeaways that come from SMTAI?

Anselm: They're numerous. Clearly there's the takeaway of the educational experience. You can learn about what is new and see the research being done in the electronics manufacturing, test, and assembly areas. There's also a huge opportunity to network and have those hallway conversations—sharing experiences, troubles and tribulations, and helping one another.

The SMTA is a volunteer organization. We've always been an association that has highly valued education. It's part of our mantra. Some of that is done in a more formal environment, like a professional development course on Monday or Tuesday of the event, but others are more informal where you are at meetings with speakers and publishers of papers who are topic experts within a certain company that may be offering equipment or material sets and helping one another out and trying to solve problems. That's really what's at the core.

Shaughnessy: I noticed you are co-located with this manufacturing event. Tell us how that works.

Anselm: Yes. We did this in Minneapolis for the first time last year. We were co-located with the Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) conference, which focuses on the medical segment. Not only can you visit our exhibit floor with all our vendors, but you can walk in the same hall to the MD&M conference and expo with all those exhibitors as well. It adds extra value to attend either end of the expo floor.

To read this entire article, which appeared in the October 2022 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.