Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1520492
102 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2024 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE I f I had to write a one-word summary of IPC APEX EXPO 2024, it would be "Wow!" Paired with ECWC16, this was debatably the best convention in recent history. The weekend started strongly with stan- dards committee meetings that were very well attended. I noticed that several ran out of seating options before the 8 a.m. start call. Standards committee meetings are the cornerstone of the expo for me. I love to interact with familiar faces as we discuss ways to maintain quality in an ever-changing industry. From there, participants dove head- first into multiple Professional Development Courses. Unfortunately, my schedule did not allow for any of these courses but I was told they were exceptional as always. One of my favorite events was the keynote address by Paul Bailey, a former principal concept technical director for Walt Disney Imagineering. Bailey discussed "moonshots," or very large projects that seem out of reach. Not only was the keynote motivating in showing how you can achieve the impossible, but he also provided a roadmap for achieving projects of such a large magnitude. The show floor really blew me away. Again, wow. It was huge, an ocean of exhibits and booths (many offering technical presenta- tions), award-winning posters, and even entertainment. It felt like you could have spent the entire day on the show floor and still not have seen everything or talked to people in every booth that you would want to. But for those whose intention was to visit the companies represented on the show floor, I found there was just everything you would need, from suppliers to fabricators and assemblers, and products that will help you run your business better. A couple of special opportunities really stood out to me. First, during one of many visits to the show floor, I had the privilege of catch- ing up with the legendary Happy Holden. Happy was thrilled to tell me about the Show Review by Paige Fiet You're Simply the Best