SMTA International Indicates Strong Industry Recovery

Minneapolis, MN - The SMTA released a summary of the SMTA International Conference and Exhibition. The event, which took place October 24-28 at Walt Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, FL, enjoyed a 20% increase in total registration compared to past years and serves as another indication that the industry is making a healthy recovery.

The technical conference was well-received and continued the SMTAI tradition of having the strongest technical conference in the industry. The Lead-Free Symposium continued to be a big draw as it has in the past. The AIMS Harsh Environment Symposium, included in the technical program this year, was successful. The session on printed electronics was the most popular session in the entire Evolving Technologies Summit. The riveting Keynote Address by Tom Sharpe, SMT Corporation, gave a sobering if not downright scary perspective of the effect of counterfeit electronic components on the electronics assembly industry.

Over 120 exhibiting companies filled the sold-out exhibit hall, a more than 30% increase from last year. The well-attended show floor maintained a steady buzz throughout the event. Exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the turnout while selecting booth space for 2011.

Hal Hendrickson, Nordson DAGE, SMTAI Exhibitor Committee chair, said, "SMTAI was a good show with good attendance and attendees who stopped in our booth represented a wide demographic range. The extra efforts made this year to drive attendees from the conference to the show floor were exemplary and proved to work very well. SMTA puts on an outstanding conference, and the expo matched that quality. We are looking forward to Fort Worth in 2011."

Start planning ahead for next year

SMTA International 2011

October 16-20, 2011

Fort Worth Convention Center

Fort Worth, TX

Attendees and exhibitors can expect the same focused event with the strongest technical conference for which SMTAI has come to be known. The SMTA Board of Directors selected Fort Worth because of the central location between the coasts for easy access.

The move to Fort Worth in 2011 is going to be a win-win situation for those who have attended SMTAI in the past and those who have not. We hope that the people who have grown accustomed to attending SMTAI in both Orlando and San Diego will join us in Fort Worth for this focused conference and exhibition. SMTAI has been recognized as a truly different type of industry event because the high quality of technical information and the networking opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else in the industry.

For more information on SMTA International please contact SMTA administrator JoAnn Stromberg: joann@smta.org or visit http://www.smta.org/smtai/.

The SMTA membership is an international network of professionals who build skills, share practical experience and develop solutions in electronic assembly technologies, including microsystems, emerging technologies, and related business operations.