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70 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2019 For many people, when they hear the word networking, it causes a little panic and brings to mind images of walking into a room of strangers, trying to find someone to talk to, and feeling awkward and out of place. Truth- fully, even I find it a little intimidating, and I host networking events! I also find that once I get to an event, it is almost always interesting and enjoyable. In this column, I want to challenge you to attend some of the industry events that are available and be intentional about meeting at least one new person. And I want to challenge the industry associations to find creative ways to make the act of attending these events less intimidating. Where do you start? Here are a few places to review when looking for events nearby. Design Tool User Groups Altium, Cadence, Mentor, and others regu- larly host user groups. These events provide a great opportunity to learn more about how to better utilize your design tool of choice and meet other users at the same time. Not only are the tool experts available to answer ques- tions, but attendees can meet with experts and other users to make connections that may help answer a question the next time they are strug- gling to solve a challenge. Geek-a-Palooza Geek-a-Palooza was founded specifically to bring all aspects of the local electronics com- munity together for an evening of food, fun, and face-to-face interaction. The annual event has been held in Minneapolis, Boston, and Or- ange County with plans to continue expanding to other locations. Geek-a-Palooza is unique in the fact that the event serves all aspects of the electronics community: raw materials, design- ers, fabricators, EMS, component manufac- turers, component distributors, manufactur- ers reps, and industry associations. This is an excellent opportunity to meet new people and expand your resources and network. To learn more, visit geek-a-palooza.com. IEEE Another organization supporting the ad- vancement of technology is the IEEE. An ex- cerpt from their website explains, "IEEE lo- cal geographic organizational units (sections, chapters, affinity groups, and student branch- es) provide unique opportunities for members to attend technical presentations, create strong peer-to-peer connections, and participate in leadership opportunities that can make a posi- tive distinction in IEEE members' jobs and ca- reers." To learn more, visit ieee.org. IPC IPC serves designers, board manufacturers, assembly companies, suppliers, and OEMs. An excerpt from their brochure states "By being the hub of knowledge in the electron- ics industry, IPC provides standards, training and certification, market research, education, and public policy advocacy to help member- companies achieve their goals. We are here to help our members create better-quality prod- ucts, enhance the skills and knowledge of their employees, reduce costs and waste, comply with regulations, and be ready to capitalize on what is next." IPC hosts many conferences and events worldwide, such as IPC APEX EXPO, and provides excellent opportunities to meet new people with similar interests. To learn more, visit ipc.org. IPC Designers Council These local chapters provide excellent op- portunities for networking and technical train- These events provide a great opportunity to learn more about how to better utilize your design tool of choice and meet other users at the same time.