Six months from now, Honolulu, HI will be the host city for what is widely regarded as the most prestigious microwave industry gathering in the world: the 2007 International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2007), to be held June 3–8, 2007.
IMS 2007 is the largest international conference devoted to the research, development and application of RF and microwave theory and techniques, and is expected to draw over 10,000 participants and 500 exhibiting companies from around the world. This conference is organized and sponsored by the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
IMS 2007 marks the 50th year that MTT-S has sponsored this symposium, and coincidentally it is being held in the 50th state of the USA. It is also the first time that this symposium is being held off of the North American continent. Hawaii has long been regarded as the Crossroads of the Pacific, and both the Microwave Journal and the IMS 2007 Steering Committee are using this opportunity to bridge East and West by encouraging attendees and exhibitors to interact in what is now a global microwave village.
From all indications we have had so far, IMS 2007 will be a well-attended event. We received 1052 technical paper submissions, higher than any other IMS year except for IMS 2003 (Philadelphia, PA), which received 1100. By comparison, the very well-attended IMS 2005 (Long Beach, CA) and IMS 2006 (San Francisco, CA) received 984 and 982 submissions, respectively. Thirty-two percent of our paper submissions are from the USA, and 30 percent are from Asian-Pacific Rim countries, again indicating the strong IMS 2007 participation from Asia.
Under the leadership of UCLA Professor Tatsuo Itoh, the Technical Program Committee is assembling a top-notch technical program that includes the usual array of technical papers, workshops, panel sessions and focused/special sessions. For the first time in recent IMS history, we will offer short courses from world-class experts that allow participants to get IEEE continuing education units. We will also offer an expanded interactive forum in the morning and afternoon.
Our hotel rooms are selling at such a brisk pace that we are negotiating with hotels for larger room blocks to accommodate the demand. We are also planning an extensive guest program that the whole family can enjoy.
All in all, we anticipate IMS 2007 to be the microwave blockbuster event of the year. All of us on the IMS 2007 Steering Committee, the IEEE MTT-S and Microwave Journal look forward to seeing you in Hawaii this June. Aloha!