Printed circuit board Phoenix Shows Potential, Despite Light Traffic
I attended the PCB Phoenix show in Mesa, Arizona on February 11, 2009–a brand-new, regional tabletop show that hosted a sound roster of exhibitors at the Hilton Hotel.
Obviously, now is not the best time to roll out a new trade show, and traffic was slow. But, the show’s format was sound, and PCB Phoenix is positioned to do better in the coming years.
There were 42 exhibitors in all, which made for a full space. The exhibitions covered the full industry spectrum, from suppliers to board designers, fabricators and EMS companies. Perhaps a bit surprisingly –or not, given the times in which we find ourselves–the fabricator contingent was especially well represented, with 12 exhibitors from the PCB fab segment.
The day began and ended with a roster of free technical seminars and discussions. Highlighted speakers included Happy Holden of Mentor Graphics (HDI); John Coonrod of Rogers Corporation (high-speed materials); Yash Sutariya of Saturn Electronics (lead-free cost reductions); and James Hofer of Accurate Circuit Engineering (what designers should know to work with fabricators).
Greg Papandrew of Bare Board Group held a popular, well -received class entitled “Death of a PCB Salesman,” which, no doubt, struck a cord.
Although the show was well organized, the vendors enthusiastic and the venue appropriate, traffic was slow. Certainly, having a new show fall in this particular quarter of this particular year had a less than positive effect on attendance. As the day went on, attendees came through looking to network and find employment. The suppliers saw more traffic than the fabricators. Folks from Intel, Raytheon and Fender Musical Instruments were in attendance sporadically, but they didn’t linger very long.
Regional shows and conferences continue to crop up around the U.S., and they are gaining in popularity. (In addition to PCB Phoenix, UP Media Group produces regional events in Orlando, Florida; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia, as well as the PCB Design Conferences in Boston, Massachusetts and Silicon Valley.)
The regional show–and the smaller tabletop format specifically–has become a popular option for electronics companies that have watched their trade show budgets decline. These smaller shows do not compare to the larger, well -established shows that boast full booth displays and huge exhibition halls, and they will probably never replace the big events, but you can expect to see more tabletop shows in the future.
Arizona–the Phoenix metropolitan area in particular–has long been a solid marketplace for the military and aerospace industries, thanks to companies like Honeywell, Raytheon and Orbital. Intel continues to have a very strong presence here, with most of its U.S. manufacturing located in the Chandler area. The medical equipment industry has also grown in metro Phoenix over the past several years.
As regional shows go, PCB Phoenix shows real potential. And, as is the case with so many things going on right now, we’ll hold out for 2010.
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