Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1359517
APRIL 2021 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 79 available to even the people outside of our nor- mal folks who showed up. But boy, was that timely. And it's not pre-recorded; we do the meeting live. at took a little bit of getting used to, but without this kind of technology, we wouldn't have been able to get this thing off the ground. Shaughnessy: What's your impression of PCEA so far, Tomas? Are they putting you to work? Chester: Yes, the challenges keep coming. We're looking at the present and where things are right now, but also looking toward the future and wanting to bring in new members, not only just in terms of forming chapters, but also start bringing in some of those new members toward the executive group—taking over and pushing this forward to the new generation of designers, engineers, and fabricators who are going to be coming through the industry. McCurdy: Tomas has been invited to be on the executive board in a well-deserved position, and he'll bring a youthful exuberance and his knowledge base onto our team. We're excited to have him. Shaughnessy: Well, congratulations, Tomas. Chester: ank you. Shaughnessy: So, this year's IPC APEX EXPO was virtual. How did that change how you approached the show? McCurdy: I think when you have a virtual pres- ence, you just hope somebody comes into your virtual booth, and then you can start the discussion. Obviously, we are still looking for other people like Tomas who would be inter- ested in having us help them form chapters in their area. Chester: I think with APEX EXPO moving over to digital, you are, of course, trying to get somebody to come in and talk to you. But at the same time, by switching to a digital environ- ment, it's now more widely available. I don't need to worry about the cost of travel or stay- ing in a hotel in San Diego. I can easily access all the information I need, because I don't need to necessarily cross the show floor to interact with other people. Everybody is literally just a click away. Shaughnessy: ere are benefits to having a vir- tual show. Anyone on the planet can attend. McCurdy: But meeting each other in person is the part that we really miss. Shaughnessy: Let's hold a good thought for next year's show. Thanks for speaking with me. McCurdy: Always a pleasure, Andy. Hopefully we'll have even more PCEA chapters by next year. DESIGN007 Scott McCurdy