Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1493443
14 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2023 Some companies in our industry seem to lose steam after a trade show, when that may be the best time to be reaching out to their new contacts. What advice would you give these companies? Simple: Wake up! You just spent a fortune on this show, if you add up all the show fees, and inflated hotel and restaurant prices, not to mention flying your people out, renting cars, booth costs, and marketing. You have spent a lot of money and it will all go to waste if you don't capitalize on the leads you should have picked up at the show. Do everything I just said, and more. If you don't plan on doing all of these, then don't bother going to the show. Is there anything you'd like to add? Oh, you bet! You've got me going now. Here are some final ideas: 1. Develop a plan that covers all aspects of the show and what you are going to do there. 2. Plan early and oen. In the case of a large show like IPC APEX EXPO, you should be planning for next year the minute this year's show is over. 3. You can have fun at the show, but you have to work too. It's not only about dinners and golf. ose days are over. Today, sales is all about selling your services and prod- ucts, not buying someone a steak. 4. When you're in the booth, work it. Don't play with your phone, and don't hang out with your friends in the booth either. Research shows that many show attendees will not interrupt exhibitors who are busy. Many potential customers won't feel com- fortable stopping to talk about something important; they'll just move on because they don't want to crash your party. 5. Be intentional. It's literally show time, right? Act like it. It's always a pleasure, Dan. Thanks. ank you, Andy. PCB007 Further Reading If you would like a free copy of Dan's trade show planning guide, contact him at danbbeaulieu@aol.com. By Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist It has been three years since the start of the pan- demic-induced recession. After an abrupt, but short downturn, the economy—and especially the elec- tronics industry—has experienced record growth. The economic recovery has had a pronounced impact on the labor market. As we enter 2023, there are several unique labor market dynamics to watch. The COVID-induced recession of 2020 was one of the most severe economic downturns in U.S. his- tory. Overall employment fell over 14%. Roughly one in every seven workers lost their job. More- over, the peek-to-trough decline happened in about 60 days, an unprecedented rate. Prior to this downturn, the worst decline in employment was the decline during the financial crisis of 2007– 09. Peek-to-trough decline in employment during that recession was 6.3%. Roughly one in every 16 people lost their jobs, but it took 26 months for the economy to reach that level so job loss was much slower during that downturn. During the COVID recession, the electronics man- ufacturing sector held up much better than other segments of the economy. This article appeared in IPC Community. To read the rest of the article, click here. Post-pandemic Labor Force Dynamics