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88 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2024 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE A fter two and a half days of wander- ing the aisles at IPC APEX EXPO 2024, for the first time I almost felt like I was exploring CES. There were so many booths and exhibits that I could describe, but I'd like to focus on the growth and huge value of this event, which has expanded well beyond just the growing and impressive exhibit show floor. This event has grown from a group of the leading suppliers in the industry of the late 20th-century PCB fabrication industry—mostly focused in the U.S. at that time—to a global trade show that includes extremely impressive exhibits (and a few not-so-impressive ones) exhibiting PCB assembly, fabrication, and design manufacturing equipment; raw materi- als; process materials and chemicals; software and design tools; and components. These come from contract manufacturers and suppliers of all sizes. If you attend IPC APEX EXPO, you can explore every segment and anything needed to design and build an elec- tronic device, from the design to the assem- bled device. I think the next logical step would be to see the completed device shown and marketed at CES or in stores. This year, many of us who were involved years ago in the dream of IPC having such a show were discussing how this event has grown in ability, complexity, and value over the past quarter-century. There is a lot of pride in how Show Review by Dan Feinberg Some Thoughts About Growth