Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1433652
12 SMT007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2021 Matties: is will really give the designers an opportunity to get there, perhaps a day ear- ly, and get out on the APEX EXPO exhibition floor and maybe spend some time in confer- ences. Mitchell: Yeah, they can do APEX EXPO pro- fessional development courses beforehand, and then they can experience Altium Live as well. We're looking forward to that. Matties: I think this next APEX EXPO will be, for many, the first event that they will have at- tended in-person since about two years ago. Has the last two years impacted the format for it? Mitchell: e biggest impact really is about making sure everybody is safe at the event. In accordance with the guidelines in California and the San Diego Convention Center, we ex- pect the requirement will be that people show either proof of vaccination or a negative COV- ID test within 72 hours. (Most people coming from overseas must do that anyway when they get on the plane.) Attendees will find a COVID Q&A on our website that explains our proto- cols more fully. Matties: Do you expect a lot of international participation? Mitchell: We had some concerns about that a few months ago, but with the U.S. re-opening its borders to international tourists, we're en- couraged. Our registrations show that we have people signing up from literally everywhere, even from places where they're going to have to quarantine when they go back. We found that very gratifying and encouraging. Matties: Speaking of registrations, how is that tracking? Are you seeing an increase over the last in-person event or is it an adjusted goal? Mitchell: I think people are being more cautious right now because they just don't know what's going to happen. e whole Delta variant July caught everybody by surprise. We thought we were getting out of the COVID concerns, and everything was going to be rosy. en Delta hit, and people thought, "Oh wait, whoa." at was a few weeks before we opened reg- istration, so I think there's some cautiousness. We have a lot of people saying, "Yeah, we're still planning to come," but they're not ready to commit. To be clear, I am speaking about in- dividual registrations. Most of the exhibitors have signed up, so we are encouraged by that. Matties: Now, on the exhibitor front, do you expect to see as much equipment on the floor? Mitchell: We hope to. We've been instructing and coaching for people not to use Long Beach or some of the more crowded ports but to look for others or just truck it in if you are already in the States. Because, frankly, the port situation is a mess. Matties: We know that there are really tough challenges—supply chain, labor, inflation—go- ing on. How will participation for the attend- ees help them navigate the challenges? Mitchell: I don't think we're going to solve all these challenges at APEX EXPO. Whether it's the labor shortage, parts shortage, transporta- tion costs, or others, we are going to be finding ways to collaborate. To me, the best opportu- nity to work on the supply chain issues is when you're meeting face-to-face. One of the intan- gible values of APEX EXPO is the face-to-face The biggest impact really is about making sure everybody is safe at the event.