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We’ve all had the experience of being new to an event, especially at large events like IPC APEX EXPO. Whether you’re attending for the first time, or even if you have previously attended once or twice, IPC APEX EXPO can be a bit overwhelming. There’s so much to do and see. If you’re attending without a friend or colleague, you might feel a bit like the new kid in school, trying to find a seat at a friendly table in a cafeteria full of strangers.
IPC is ensuring that all new attendees have the opportunity to meet others in the same situation. The newcomers’ reception (formerly the first-timer’s reception), of course, continues as a great opportunity for newcomers to network with each other. And yet, IPC is taking this idea a step further by providing an opportunity throughout the entire event for newcomers.
The Newcomers’ Lounge will open on February 2, will remain open through February 6, and is conveniently located near the technical conference and meetings area, where it will serve as a dedicated resource center for newcomers to get their questions answered and meet other newcomers. Use the lounge to take a break from the hustle and bustle of a busy day, catch up on emails, or grab a quick snack or refreshment.
In addition, newcomers will have an opportunity to meet key leaders and influencers in our industry during scheduled sessions in the lounge. Here are just two of the meet-and-greets planned for the Newcomer’s Lounge.
• Meet IPC’s Teresa Rowe (senior director, assembly and standards technology, IPC) and Leo Lambert (VP and technical director, EPTAC Corporation, and 2019 recipient of the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award), along with IPC’s Emerging Engineers, and listen in on the Tribal Knowledge Cultivation Project —February 3, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
• Meet IPC’s president and CEO, Dr. John Mitchell —February 4 at 4:00 p.m. and February 5 at 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Stop by the Newcomers’ Lounge to see the full schedule of meet-and-greets throughout the week, including an opportunity to meet Brook Sandy-Smith, IPC technical conference program manager, additional IPC Hall of Fame Award recipients, standards committee chairs, and several other subject-matter experts.
