Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1543032
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2026 Five Key Changes to APEX EXPO This month, we devote our issue of SMT007 Magazine to previewing the upcoming APEX EXPO, March 16–20, in Anaheim, California. APEX EXPO stays in Anaheim until 2029, so, geographically, things are stable, but topically, changes are afoot. Here are five ways the trade show is changing for the better this year. 1. A Year of Rebranding First, you'll notice the subtle name change: IPC was rebranded in 2025 as the Global Electronics Associ- ation, even updating from ipc.org to electronics.org, so "IPC" has been dropped from the name of the event. IPC still continues as the brand for standards and publications related to standards. Some might say it takes the IPC brand back to its roots, allowing the industry association that grew up around stan- dards to adopt its own identity. 2. Additions to the Show Show organizers took a step back and looked at what could enrich the trade show on a more technical level. You'll see new programs on the show floor this year, among them the Technology Pavilion, Design Village, and an expanded Learn- ing Lounge. The Technology Pavilion, for example, provides an opportunity for informative presenta- tions—which might not have all the necessary data to be an approved technical paper—to still have value for attendees. 3. Forward-facing Standards Development Standards committee work is the DNA of this event. The technical conference and expo are later addi- tions to the annual committee conference. But just as those portions of the event are shifting, so is the standards program. Sharp-eyed observers will notice a slight evolu- tion in how the Association initiates standards work, for example. In the early days, standards docu- mented the customary practices of the day, mean- ing they were generally backward-facing. In recent years, that focus has steadily shifted to address N O L A N ' S N OT E S BY N O L A N J O H N SO N , I- CO N N ECT0 07