Perfect package on show
26 April 2011
Height of the exhibition season as it is, and despite having already dedicated a number of recent columns about such events recently, I make no excuses for highlighting the SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING show this week.
The event takes place in Nuremburg on 3 – 5 May 2011, and year-on-year this has proved to be reliably one of the industry’s highlights. I believe the notion struck me over the past years that this was the largest annual electronics show of its type in the world, and as no one has corrected me then I will repeat it. The reasons for its success go beyond its location in one of the electronics industry’s heartlands. Here are a few of the visitors quotes from the website (www.smt-exhibition.com) that sum up some of the reasons for its appeal:
“A place where innovation meets market demand!”
“In respect of its size and selection of exhibitors, the SMT is an annual highlight for all those in the sector looking to be brought up to speed. Absolutely recommended!”
“For me the SMT is the best exhibition where I can obtain information about printed circuit board manufacturing for small series and the latest opportunities in the sector.”
“The SMT exhibition is an excellent platform for the innovative exchange of ideas and an opportunity to gain information about the latest technological developments in PCB layout design and PCB manufacture. I recommend it to all managers and designers.”
“Relations thrive on personal contacts. In addition to the many specialist topics, this is the number one reason why I attend the SMT. You have the feeling of being in a large family.”
As a consequence, the event attracted over 22,000 visitors last year, and with industry in Europe becoming increasingly buoyant it would be no surprise if this number was exceeded this year. The number of exhibitors has risen from 555 in 2010 to 569 at the time of writing.
Traditionally, approximately a quarter of both visitors and exhibitors come from outside Germany. While this does place SMT as predominately a national show it clearly demonstrates that it has the credentials to appeal to those internationally.
Other attractions include the opportunities to brush up on the latest knowledge at the exhibition forums and the conference programme. The forums go on all day at an arena within the exhibition halls and are vendor presentations. Sometimes there is the danger that these can be little more than a sales pitch but most companies view them as an opportunity to get their technology across and can therefore be a valuable information source for the attendee – as always it depends on the skill of the presenter. The Conference is a far more high-brow look at microelectronics technology and will appeal to those at the cutting edge. But be warned. Some of the sessions are in English and some in German, so check in advance if you have linguistic restrictions.
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