As I write this, I’ve just returned from the Asia Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC) in Yokohama, Japan. Having never been to Japan, this was a new experience for me. While I enjoyed the cultural differences that Japan offers, I was also struck by the similarities between East and West.
Carl Sheffres Publisher
The big news in Japan all week wasn’t about the national economy, education or politics. It was all about Dice-K. As in Daisuke Matsuzaka, the 26 year-old pitching phenom of the Seibu Lions. This was the final week of negotiations with the Boston Red Sox, and all talk revolved around the potential deal. When I mentioned to anyone that I was from Boston, they would immediately exclaim, “Matsuzaka!” My Japanese representative, Mr. Ishii, could recite the Sox lineup as well as any diehard fan. When the deal was culminated at the end of the week, we all celebrated the victory. It seems that when it comes to baseball, it is indeed a small world.
The theme of this year’s MTT-S IMS event is “Microwaves Across the Pacific,” and like the sport of baseball, our industry has truly become global. Microwave Week is certainly an international event, with attendees and exhibitors representing nearly 30 countries last year. This year, more than 30 percent of the submitted papers came from Asia, and all indications are that we will have the largest Asian attendance in the history of the conference. There has been a good deal of promotion targeted to the Asia Pacific engineering community, including at the recent APMC, which had representatives from both Microwave Journal and MTT-S.
There has been much debate about the show being in Honolulu. However, there’s no debating the fact that the MTT-S IMS is the premier industry event of the year. The technical conference is second to none, and offers the opportunity to become current on all of the latest technologies being advanced worldwide. The exhibition is the largest of its kind, bringing together the latest products available, many of which will be debuted at the show. And the event remains the optimum networking environment, where old friendships are renewed and new relationships are established.
I traveled far to attend the APMC, and it was well worth the trip. I saw some old friends and I made some new ones. We talked about business, baseball and many other things. I expect that we’ll continue those conversations in June in Honolulu. I hope that you’ll join us.
Best wishes for the New Year.
Carl Sheffres Publisher
PS: Watch for the newly redesigned Microwave FLASH email newsletter, which now features weekly updates on the IMS conference and exhibition, as well as travel and entertainment information. You can subscribe to the newsletter at www.mwjournal.com.
