What’s New at IMS Exhibition This Year
By Lee Wood, Co-President, MP Associates, Inc. (MPA) - IMS2009 Exhibit ManagerIMS attendees will find many new things happening in the IMS Exhibits that we expect will enrich their experience.
First, is the setting for IMS2009. Although IMS has a long history in Boston, this is the first time it has been located in the new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC). The BCEC, located in South Boston along the waterfront in Boston Harbor, is easy to get to from Logan Airport and surrounding communities and is close to historic locations such as the Seaport District, downtown, the financial district, Back Bay and Cambridge. The facility is ideally suited for the unique needs of both the IMS exhibition and Symposium.
Of course the center of the Exhibits will be the more than 500 companies from more than 15 countries that will be participating. IMS attendees have the unique opportunity for a hands-on look at the latest solutions convened in one location. There will be something for everyone, whether you work in wireless communication, radar, high frequency semiconductors, electromagnetics, commercial and military RF or microwave, you’ll find component suppliers, manufacturing equipment providers, test and inspection solutions and the full gamut of related software and service companies. Finding the exhibitors with products you need is now easier than ever, too. In addition to the printed Exhibition Catalog, IMS now is providing the new IMS Interactive Exhibit Floorplan, which allows you to search by company name or product category and create a personalized map and agenda for your visit.
In addition to the exhibitor booths, attendees can listen to in-depth presentations on exhibitor technology at the Microwave Applications Seminars (MicroApps), which will be located conveniently in the Exhibition Hall between the main entrance escalators. The MicroApps presentations will feature exhibitors presenting the technology behind their commercial products and their special capabilities. Again, this year, MicroApps is being hosted by Agilent Technologies and will feature a variety of measurement specific presentations by Agilent’s measurement experts as well as a variety of other presentations from other exhibitors. The full schedule of MicroApps is available here:
http://www.mpassociates.com/IMS/IMS_microapps.html.
IMS attendees will not want to miss the Historical Booth (Booth 1447) where memorabilia from the first IMS held in Boston 50 years ago will be on display. The first microwave oven to hit the consumer market in 1967 also will be included. Come and see what has changed since that first IMS and consider what has stayed the same as MTT has grown along with our industry.
Several special additions to the IMS2009 schedule include the Monday Evening Plenary sessions followed by the MTT-S Welcome reception. The Plenary Session keynote presentation is by Petteri Alinikula, VP of Core Technology Research at Nokia on Monday from 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. Dr. Alinikula will present on Innovating Openly in Wireless and is sure to educate and inspire all in attendance. Be sure to make note that the IMS Plenary is at a new time this year on Monday evening, June 8. All attendees and exhibitors are invited to participate.
The second change to the social event calendar at IMS this year is the Industry Hosted Reception, scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, from 5:00 – 6:30pm, will take place on the exhibit floor. All attendees and exhibitors are invited to attend the reception and enjoy hors d’oeuvre and drinks while meeting with exhibitors. This will be a wonderful way to network with colleagues and make new connections.
Finally, because coffee is often the fuel that sustains conference attendees, it’s important to note that when the exhibit floor is open Tuesday through Thursday morning the Symposium coffee and refreshment breaks will be on the exhibits floor in each of the three “Refresh and Recharge” areas. These areas are found on both the 2400 aisle and on the 300 aisle of exhibit hall.
The IMS2009 Exhibit Hall is sure to be filled with activity as the industry comes together in Boston. We look forward to seeing you all there!