Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1083315
98 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2019 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE by Dan Feinberg I-CONNECT007 I am just back from this year's IPC APEX EXPO show and gathering of the clan in San Diego, California. I have been to every one of these events since the first one in Boston over 20 years ago, and I feel that this just may have been the best one yet. The main show floor was absolutely full of exhibitors with no room for any additional booths, and the overflow hall was also well populated including a dem- onstration line showing the high value of IPC's Connected Factory Exchange (CFX). The first thing anyone trying to measure the value of a trade show would do is consider the attendance. The pre-show events had good attendance, and the show itself started rela- tively crowded on day one; overall, attendance was good throughout the rest of the show. Even on the final day just a few hours before clos- ing, there was modest but reasonable traffic throughout much of the show floor. When you would ask those who were exhibiting, "How is the show going for you?" 90% of those who we asked replied quite positively. There was also a lot of new technology on display, and the level of automation and inclusion of robot- ics on exhibit has increased a quantum level in the past few years. The evolution- ary advances in equipment were significant and valuable. The only group that indicated less than satisfaction—either through verbal statement or expression with booth attendance when asked—was some of the solder and wave soldering segment. Perhaps that is due to the reduced level of wave soldering compared to the growth in other manufacturing processes globally. The keynote speech from JB Straubel, CTO and co-founder of Tesla, was interesting not so much due to the technology, but more about the story of the company's vision, startup, and navigation through the various pitfalls encoun- tered when starting a new company using an evolutionary technology. He also addressed how Tesla tried to change the market direction of an industry with a long history, which was informative and fascinating. The increasing value of IPC membership and its commitment to the industry was more evi- dent this year than ever before. The increased focus given to the n ew C F X s t a n d a rd and hard work by the committee as well as the commitment of IPC staff and mem- bers to other valuable standards, education, and the new IPC Student Chapters was quite evident. I hate to mention just a few of the key IPC staff and those from the industry that I found s o c o m m i t t e d t o the industry because there are many oth- IPC APEX EXPO 2019: Perhaps the Best One Yet