Before the activities at IPC APEX EXPO® get into full swing, industry executives will gather for the IPC EMS Management Council Meeting and the new IPC PCB Supply Chain Leadership Meeting. The meetings, taking place February 18, 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center, will focus on business issues unique to senior-level decision makers in the EMS and PCB industries.
The day will open with joint sessions on issues critical to both groups: a business outlook for the global electronics industry, presented by Walt Custer, Custer Consulting, and disruptive environmental regulations, presented by Fern Abrams, IPC. Regarding environmental regulations, Abrams says, “Technology is no longer the only driver in product design and development. Compliance with evolving environmental and social responsibility issues such as REACH, California’s Green Chemistry regulations and conflict minerals requirements continue to be key drivers for all segments of the electronics industry.”
The EMS Management Meeting includes a committee update from Mark Wolfe, Phoenix International; an economic update for small to medium EMS companies, with Lloyd Caplin, Pacific Global Consulting; and an M&A update for Tier 2 and 3 EMS companies by Jack Calderon, Lincoln International. In the afternoon, Sharath Bhat, Kaynes Technology India Pvt. Ltd., will present on the current status and future opportunities in the EMS market in India; John Sharp, TriQuint SemiConductor, will guide executives in developing a disaster preparedness plan; Jim Rosenberg, Arrow Electronics, will provide a distributor perspective on the state of the industry; and Chris Narup, Phoenix International, will address best practices for customer relations.
The new IPC PCB Supply Chain Leadership Meeting, a new learning and networking forum for senior executives of PCB manufacturers and their supplier companies, will focus on critical strategic and management topics. Kevin Arledge and Jerry Magera, both of Motorola Solutions, Inc., will provide attendees with a PCB roadmap from the OEM point of view. Other presentations will address what the executive needs to know about distributive technologies, including: conductive pastes, presented by Jim Haley, Ormet Circuits Inc.; embedded components, presented by Raj Kumar, Viasystems Group Inc.; and printed electronics, presented by Mark Poliks, Ph.D., Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Inc. Laser drilling and 3-D circuits will also be addressed. Don Walsh, Uyemura International Corp., will present on environmental regulations’ impact on materials availability; and Paresh Vasani, Indian Printed Circuit Association and Circuit Systems (India) Ltd., will discuss PCB fabrication in India, including market status and opportunities.
The day will culminate with roundtable discussions providing opportunities for attendees to exchange ideas and share experiences. Complete agendas for the EMS and PCB executive management meetings are available at www.ipcapexexpo.org/executives.
Executives are encouraged to bring their staff to IPC APEX EXPO to participate in other activities taking place at the show. Individuals who register by January 25 will save 20 percent off registration fees. A new registration option for 2013, the Maximum Value Package (MVP), offers a savings of more than 75 percent over individual item prices. For more information or to register for IPC APEX EXPO, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.
