Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1202019
JANUARY 2020 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 55 Sandy-Smith: Exactly. Johnson: How many of those sessions are you planning? Sandy-Smith: We have 10 sessions. They'll be paired up, two at the same time. We have six presentation blocks, and within each block, there are six presentations that are for the technical conference. You'd have to buy the technical conference pass to go to those ses- sions, and then one or two other sessions at the intersection. The people who sign up for the expo show for attendance can take part in the intersection sessions, too. I'm not making any changes to the traditional technical confer- ence. We still have all the great papers that you expect to see and the cutting-edge research that people wait all year to present at IPC APEX EXPO. I am, however, trying to add something extra to start the conversation. Johnson: And what with the changes to the IPC APEX EXPO location, I can understand why you're so excited about this. Sandy-Smith: Everything is coming together, and I'm excited. I love panel discussions, but in the future, I want to explore some different formats for sessions. Johnson: How we interact is changing based on demographics, expectations, technologies, etc., so moving away from panel discussions to something else may be appropriate. Sandy-Smith: And if we're bringing a whole new generation into the industry, we have to be efficient about communicating all the his- tory that's there and the tribal knowledge that these experts carry. The younger generation also wants to level up faster; they want the in- formation to be conveyed in a different way, which leads to another program that's new at IPC APEX EXPO next year. I'm calling it "the fundamentals program." This program will be available as part of the technical conference, and it takes place on Monday. The technical conference is tradition- ally Tuesday through Thursday, but I am add- ing a session on Monday where I'm cultivat- ing the content and reaching out to the experts on each of these facets of the industry. Having these experts in one place will provide a com- prehensive overview of electronics manufac- turing, terminology that you need to know to make the most out of the technical conference, and opportunities for learning and career suc- cess. It will cover the fundamentals. Johnson: Afterburners for newbies. Sandy-Smith: But it's not just for newcomers to the industry; it could be anyone from the in- dustry that has been in one niche and wants a broader understanding of all of the things that happen in the industry. For instance, if you fo- cus on cleaning systems and chemistries and different kinds of contamination on boards, but you want to know more about how a cir- cuit board is made and what kind of process residues could be in that part, this would help broaden your perspective as far as the whole industry. Johnson: Monday is usually reserved for exec- utive forums. Is the program running along- side the professional forums? Sandy-Smith: Yes. There will also be profes- sional development courses on Monday, both intermediate and advanced levels, most of the level training will take place in this fundamen- tals track. If, for example, someone buys an all-access pass, the fundamentals track could count as two of your professional develop- ment courses for Monday. Or if you sign up for the technical conference pass, you can come to those fundamentals sessions on Monday to prepare for the technical conference. There's a small fee for lunch, but we'll have a panel dis- cussion on hot topics or strategies for success. Johnson: I know I'm going to want to drop in and see how it's going. Sandy-Smith: We don't want to overwhelm anyone, but we think it will be helpful to hear