Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1447212
34 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2022 IPC APEX EXPO 2022: Better Than Expected! Welcome to APEX Photo Coverage by Barry Matties I-CONNECT007 It's good to be back. Though not everyone who normally would be here was in attendance, the spirit of the people who are here is strong. There are in- person reunions in every corner of the convention center. Heartfelt greetings that they have missed for the last two years are shared. The team of peo- ple working Registration, the security team, organiz- ers, teamsters, exhibitors and the rest who make up our community are truly glad to be here, all while embracing the new rules and order of things. If a mask and other precautions are what we must do to be together, then so be it. It won't be like that for- ever; we are just on the path to the future. As you walk the show floor, you see the familiar. It's what you expect: signs overheads, carpet on the aisles, equipment in booths. Yes, I was pleas- antly surprised to see the amount of equipment that made it here. With all the challenges of sup- ply chain, materials, labor and shipping, it is won- derful to see the commitment and determination of so many companies to have equipment on the show floor. As far as attendance goes, most expected it to be very low, myself included. I think the best way to describe it is that it clearly exceeded expectations. This is the comment I heard frequently throughout the event. Comparing attendance to years past just did not seem like the metric that made sense for the return of an in-person event. Our team covered the event in many ways—vid- eos, interviews, meetings, booth tours, and photos. The photos that you will see throughout our special Real Time with... IPC event coverage are the result of a collaborative effort between our team and Josh Sears, the official IPC show photographer. From the opening ceremony, conferences, keynotes, show floor receptions, STEM event, and much more, our team was there to capture the moments. We also invite you to visit our Real Time with... IPC site to view the full gallery of photos, interviews and more.