Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1496178
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2023 Nolan's Notes by Nolan Johnson, I-CONNECT007 The Rise of the EMS Summit A summit is defined as "a meeting or conference of heads of state, especially to conduct diplomatic negotiations and ease international tensions. Or, any meeting or conference of top-level officials, executives, etc." With that in mind, I believe the EMS Leadership Summit at IPC APEX EXPO was well named. I spent the entire day at the summit, listening to the speakers and talking to attendees. I found a high level of engagement from both speakers and guests, and rightly so; there was plenty to talk about. What surprised me was the relatively low attendance. "This is information that everyone needs to hear," I thought to myself. More than at any time in the past 20 years— more than ever, perhaps—there are myriad simultaneous dynamics in motion. In early 2020, as the world temporarily shut down in reaction to the outbreak of COVID, some business organizations (IPC among them) created forums where business leaders in that industry could get the latest updates, compare notes, and generally help each other navigate all the uncertainty. Here at I-Connect007, we took a similar tack, opening our publications to industry leaders. Anyone who had an update to share got an interview. We kept it short (five minutes or so), on topic, and up-to-the-minute whenever possible. We were all trying to get the word out about the rapidly changing pandemic situation.