A Mic, a Tiny Cam, and the Show Floor: The Story Behind 'Take the Mic!'

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

I-Connect007’s Take the Mic! program at APEX EXPO 2026 in Anaheim is proving to be a must-watch feature for this year’s event coverage, as we invited company representatives to participate in a sponsored conversation about their businesses and products in a whole new way: in front of a camera at their booths.

While our managing editors and guest editors were conducting slightly longer Real Time with… APEX EXPO interviews in our booth, three staff members and guests acted as roaming reporters. Armed with a small GoPro-style camera, an expandable tripod, and a wireless microphone, these I-Connect007 staff members conducted the short, prearranged interviews with several companies exhibiting on the show floor. The result was delivering direct access to the people, technologies, and ideas shaping electronics manufacturing.

Several of the interviews were led by Brittany Martin, I-Connect007’s digital marketing manager. Other interviews were conducted by Marcy LaRont, Kelly Dack, and Dan Beaulieu. Michelle Te was behind the camera.

“Sometimes the hardest part of the interview was just getting the introductions right,” Martin said, with a laugh. “Our customers seemed at ease once we started asking questions, though. This was a unique opportunity for some smaller companies to get their voices heard using the largest trade media organization in the world.” 

This year’s lineup reflected the full breadth of innovation happening across the industry. “Take the Mic! was an opportunity to meet our customers where they are,” said LaRont, executive director of I-Connect007. “Often, they want to demonstrate their machinery or equipment, and conducting interviews in the booth allowed more flexibility for them to do that.”

“I thought it was a lot of fun going to companies’ booths and talking to them on their own turf, so to speak,” Beaulieu said. “The folks we interviewed seemed to be much more comfortable in their own element. They could talk more freely and informally about their company and the company’s products and services.”

Having conducted hundreds of interviews for his own company, Beaulieu has a natural style that puts his subjects at ease. “I know that this video method makes some people nervous to the point of avoiding it,” Beaulieu said, “but a good interview will make them relax and forget the camera, which is what I try to do. I let them know, very casually, how it will go, what we are looking for, and that, in the end, this is not ‘60 Minutes.’ We’re on their side, and my job as the interviewer is to make them look as good as possible.”

From the show floor, Brian Betti of LPMS USA demonstrated low-pressure molding for LED circuits using the KAPPA 1100H system, highlighting how advanced materials and processes are protecting increasingly sensitive components. At Siborg Systems, Michael Obrecht introduced a compact, high-performance benchtop multimeter that brings advanced measurement capabilities to a broader audience.

Digital transformation was a major theme throughout the event. Timon Ruban of Luminovo shared how AI-driven supply chain platforms are dramatically reducing BOM quoting time, while Pierre-Jean Cancalon of Essemtec showcased adaptive equipment designed for high-mix, flexible production environments.

Materials and process innovation were equally front and center. Mark Curtin of Transition Automation discussed how evolving squeegee technology is enabling finer printing precision, while Jason Fullerton of MacDermid Alpha explored new alloy systems and reinforcement strategies built for high-performance computing demands. At Koki, Shantanu Joshi emphasized a customer-centric approach to materials development, using micro-alloying and analytics to solve real-world manufacturing challenges.

“It’s great to see our ‘Take the Mic’ included in the APEX coverage,” Joshi said. “You and the team did an excellent job capturing the energy and key themes from the show. Thanks again for the opportunity and for the continued support. We’re looking forward to collaborating again.”

Several interviews highlighted the increasing demands of high-frequency and high-reliability applications. John Andresakis of Ohmega Ticer addressed the need for advanced embedded resistor technology in RF designs, while AGC Materials presented solutions for aerospace, defense, and automotive applications, including next-generation materials for high-frequency radar systems.

George Pinzon, senior director of West Coast sales and marketing at AGC Multi Materials, Inc., had similar sentiments. “Awesome job,” he said. “I really enjoyed doing this, and Kelly made us feel so at ease.”

Global strategy and growth were also key topics. Photo Chemical Systems marked 50 years in the industry by sharing how strong customer relationships and strategic diversification continue to drive their success, and Jimmy Fang of Sunshine Global Circuits outlined the company’s expanding international footprint and investment in high-tech PCB manufacturing.

Beaulieu said the interview with Fang was one of his favorites. “He did, indeed, ‘take the mic’ right out of my hands and started talking about his products like it was a TV commercial. I felt it was actually the best of all the interviews I did at the show.”

“Our interviewers really had a knack for putting their subjects at ease,” Te said, working behind the camera. “They were well prepared with questions, kept the interviews to just five minutes or less, and let the interviewees speak to their expertise. It was fun to watch them at work, managing the microphone, and yet asking interesting and thought-provoking questions.”

Dack, always the “social butterfly” at shows like these, was a natural fit for conducting the interviews. In addition to being a PCB designer, in his off-hours he dabbled in TV news video production at KTVN, a local news station in Reno, Nevada, in the mid-2000s.

"I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the power of video in storytelling,” Dack says. “After six years collaborating with a professional news team, I realized how video content can have a profound, positive impact on people's lives. I coined an extension of the saying, 'A picture is worth a thousand words,' by adding, 'and video content is worth a thousand pictures!' I also saw firsthand the explosive use of ENG-Cams in covering industry events, and the I-Connect Real Time with… team was at the forefront, pioneering the use of video in our electronics industry."

Once the Take the Mic! video interviews were completed, they were quickly processed and edited by the technical staff in our booth. Martin shared the videos on I-Connect007’s LinkedIn page, at realtimewith.com, and with the customers themselves. They’ve also been featured in our special five-issue Show & Tell newsletter, which has provided coverage and analysis of APEX EPXO 2026.

"Interviewing people is a great opportunity to explore both the individuals and the topics they’re passionate about,” Dack said. “I enjoy learning what drives them, whether it’s their career passions, new products or processing, or any of their areas of expertise. I also enjoy putting myself in the shoes of our curious viewers, thinking of the questions they might not ask or aren't able to ask, and trying to uncover those insights.”

If you couldn’t make it to Anaheim, or want to revisit what stood out, these five-minute conversations are the perfect place to start. Watch the full Take the Mic! interview series and hear directly from the innovators driving the industry forward.