Advancing in a New Era

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

What goes down must also come up. This is not the idiom we’re used to hearing, but I’d like to apply it to IPC APEX EXPO 2023. After a few years of lower attendance numbers due to the COVID pandemic, 2023 ushered in a re-invigorated group of attendees, exhibitors, speakers, event contractors, and staff to the show floor and meeting rooms.

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 was fueled by the possibilities of new advances in electronics manufacturing. We saw this in the exhibition, where a multitude of high-tech machinery (artificial intelligence, in some cases) showcased cutting-edge assembly, testing and inspection equipment, software automation, laser systems, additive manufacturing, and Factory of the Future technologies. The Technical Conference sessions and Professional Development courses covered such hot-topic tracks as Smart factories, PCB fabrication and materials, and high-density interconnects.

From what I observed and heard directly from exhibitors, the exhibition experience was positive for the 376 exhibitors who showcased their products and services on 122,700 square feet of show floor space. Davina McDonnell, global marketing manager for Cogiscan, told me, “IPC APEX 2023 was a big hit for us—the best show in years! Our booth was consistently packed with every demo station in use by customers. Our team had meaningful and productive conversations with lots of new contacts and we all left the show energized and excited about what’s in store for the rest of the year. This was the best IPC APEX EXPO we have participated in.”

From attendees, I was pleased to hear accolades on technical program offerings, many stating that it was the best conference in years; attendance was at an all-time high in more than a decade. The Technical Program Committee built a strong program with five tracks, 28 sessions, and 104 papers, with peer-reviewed content from 18 countries, detailing original research and innovations from industry experts around the world. The paper presenters—international subject matter experts—eagerly shared their knowledge and expertise, and provided attendees with quality technical content not found or presented anywhere else. We are very proud of the Technical Conference and set the bar high for paper submissions.

New this year were two special technical sessions, one on advanced packaging presented by IPC’s Chief Technical Officer Matt Kelly, and another on e-mobility led by Brian O’Leary of Indium and Jason Schwartz of KYZEN. Both special sessions drew capacity crowds and earned high marks from attendees for their thoroughness of content.

To read this entire article, which appeared in the 2023 edition of Show & Tell Magazine, click here.