Chairman’s message

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the IMS Insider and to IMS2009! We plan to make IMS2009 and microwave week memorable, and the IMS Insider will help us get the word out. IMS2009 will be in Boston and promises to be exceptional. We have always set records in Boston, and we plan to do it again. But that’s not enough. We also plan to continue Boston’s tradition of innovation. Well be outlining those innovations in the months to come.

Although Boston has always been a great site for the IMS, we aren’t resting on our laurels. We are working hard to make IMS2009 the best possible experience for all participants – authors, technical attendees, trade show attendees, exhibitors, guests and even people that aren’t able to attend. You’ll find information on some exciting innovations at ims2009.org, and we’ll post updates frequently. Make sure you visit our website often to learn what is new!

Now is the time to start thinking about technical contributions. If you want to submit a paper, the deadline is 8 December, but now is the time to start planning. Make sure you review the Call for Papers, available at ims2009.org. If you have never submitted a paper before, I encourage you to try. The Call for Papers has critical information on what to submit and how to submit. We’ll have some tips on how to submit a successful paper in an upcoming edition of the IMS Insider. You can also submit ideas for Workshops, Panel Sessions, Special Sessions and Short Courses. The deadline for proposals is 19 September. You can find more details at the website.

We also plan to have the best exhibition IMS has ever had. It’s always been a top notch trade show, and we have a few improvements in mind. One thing we will do in 2009 is have the traditional industry hosted reception on the show floor on Weds evening. We’ll have more details on this and other ideas in upcoming issues. If you are interested in exhibiting and haven’t signed up yet, contact Nancy Cummings of MP Associates (nancy@mpassociates.com). You can also find out about sponsorship opportunities from Nancy.

Bridging the technical program and the exhibition are the MicroApps sessions. These are opportunities for exhibitors to make technical and commercial presentations. This can be a great forum for exhibits to explain products and how they are used, to demonstrate capabilities, or to introduce new products. The sessions are held on the show floor, and are open to all registrants. Look for more details in future issues.

Finally, I’m thrilled to announce that we will have two media partners in 2009 – the Microwave Journal and Penton Media. They will work with us to publicize IMS2009 to potential participants around the world; they will cover what happens during IMS and report on it once it’s concluded.

See you in Boston next June!
Fred Schindler, General Chair of IMS2009