March 2, 2020 — From factory of the future advancements displayed on the show floor to expert insights conveyed in technical conference sessions and professional development courses, IPC APEX EXPO 2020 provided the education and networking connections that helped 8,516 visitors (attendee and exhibitor personnel) from 61 countries address today’s business challenges and prepare for the future.

This year’s 477 exhibitors showcased cutting-edge products and services on 149,900 net square feet of exhibit floor space. And with more than 80 percent of the 4,211 attendees identifying themselves as key buyers or influencers, the exhibitors at North America's largest electronics assembly event enjoyed three days of qualified leads, business development and brisk sales.

In keeping with the event’s theme, “Elevate the Excellence of Electronics,” APEX EXPO 2020 featured more than 75 technical papers detailing original research and innovations from industry experts around the world. Attendees had access to new research on materials and processes and opportunities to learn more about trending materials, applications and processes such as PCB fabrication, assembly processes and Industry 4.0 (including a live demonstration on the exhibit floor showing how two industry standards work together).

IPC APEX EXPO’s full- and half-day professional development courses blended traditional electronics industry topics with hot-new developments, delivered by corporate technologists, consultants, training center staff and university faculty. Attendees choose from an array of leading topics such as: PCB fabrication troubleshooting, supply chain management, high-speed applications, surface reliability, semiconductor packaging technologies and design for excellence (DFX).

Many attendees achieved what they sought at the event. “At APEX EXPO, I was able to evaluate all selective solder and placement machines in one place, with all of the relevant technical resources on hand to answer my questions. This was a great use of my time,” said Larry Davis, production engineer, Hach.

Rodney Doss, ESD program manager at Samtec, Inc. added, “Networking at the committee meetings brought me together with individuals who share similar challenges at their facilities. This is a great way to learn how others throughout the world tackle manufacturing issues. I now have new resources to get expert opinions on ideas I may have in the future.”

When I spoke with exhibitors and attendees at this year’s show, feedback was positive. Attendees said that networking and educational events and activities helped them find new ways to solve challenges; the exhibition provided them the opportunity to meet suppliers that could help them save time and money, and foster new business opportunities,” said John Mitchell IPC president and CEO. “Our team is already working on putting together next year’s show, and I look forward to our industry’s continued support in making IPC APEX EXPO 2021 a success.”

In 2021, IPC APEX EXPO will return to the San Diego Convention Center, January 23-28. Industry researchers, engineers and academics are invited to submit an abstract for consideration in next year’s technical conference or professional development courses in the online Call for Participation at  www.ipcapexexpo.org/education/call-for-participation.