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Call it a good problem to have. PCB Carolina 2023 was so big that that exhibitors were literally spilling out of the show floor at NC State’s MacKimmon Center for Continuing and Lifelong Education.
This year, PCB Carolina drew 1,200 attendees and so many exhibitors that some “overflow” booths had to be set up in a classroom near the show floor, as well as in the registration area. There was no down time on the show floor, even when classes were in session, and whenever classes would end, there was a flood of people onto the show floor. Many of the classes focused on AI, with Cadence’s Taylor Hogan presenting the keynote on AI’s role in PCB design.
Showrunners Randy Faucette, Tony Cosentino, and Lance Oliver of Better Boards Inc. had their hands full yesterday. It was a real family affair, with Randy’s wife Angelisa manning a barista station in the “overflow” exhibitor room.
Where did all these attendees come from? The line for lunch and dinner looked what you’d see at DesignCon. But it was all well-managed, even with this increase in attendance.. Randy has this formula down.
One thing I noticed this year was a big jump in the number of students at the show. The kids I spoke to were really working the show, looking for internship opportunities and networking. Some of the freshmen EE students already know quite a bit about PCBs through the Makerspace at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which includes testing and soldering stations, a pick-and-place machine, and 3D printers.
Is the “maker” movement helping to “make” PCBs cool again? Maybe. I was struck by what one EE student in Class of ’27 said: “I need to know all about PCBs to do all of these other things I want to do.” I told him there would be plenty of job opportunities for him. It’s great to see so many young people interested in this industry, soaking up everything that we graybeards had to say. I think I was called “sir” 25 times yesterday; we are in the South, after all.
I don’t know how Randy and the gang are going to handle next year’s event. They don’t want to move to a bigger venue because NC State has been so helpful every step of the way. Can they hold it outside under a giant tent? As I said, it’s a good problem to have.
