IPC APEX EXPO: Some Thoughts About Growth

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After two and a half days of wandering the aisles at IPC APEX EXPO 2024, for the first time, I almost felt like I was exploring CES. There were so many booths and exhibits that I could describe, but I’d like to focus on the growth and huge value of this event, which has expanded well beyond just the growing and impressive exhibit show floor.

This event has grown from a group of the leading suppliers in the industry of the late 20th-century PCB fabrication industry—mostly focused in the U.S. at that time—to a global trade show that includes extremely impressive exhibits (and a few not-so-impressive ones) exhibiting PCB assembly, fabrication, and design manufacturing equipment; raw materials; process materials and chemicals; software and design tools; and components. These come from contract manufacturers and large suppliers of all sizes. If you attend IPC APEX EXPO, you can explore every segment and anything needed to design and build an electronic device, from the design to the assembled device. I think the next logical step would be to see the completed device shown and marketed at CES or in stores.

This year, many of us who were involved years ago in the dream of IPC having such a show were discussing how this event has grown in ability, complexity, and value over the past quarter-century. There is a lot of pride in how this event has matured. This includes the show floor, the design and fab meetings, the ability of senior management in all segments of the industry to discuss and plan for the future, and the valuable assets provided to assist those just entering the industry.

To read this entire article, which appeared in the 2024 issue of Show & Tell Magazine, click here.