This year we tried to plan something a little different for APEX. Instead of the normal booth, we used the space as a meeting place for people to come and talk with other engineers (from Indium and other companies), charge their cell phone, and eat a healthy snack. If you have been to any tradeshow in your life you'll understand – this was an oasis.
Many people that did not participate in APEX are asking what it was like, especially in light of the predicted drop in attendance. We spoke with a few of the Indium members who made it out to Vegas this year to sum up APEX 2009:
Rick Short told us "…attendance was 25 to 30% lower than in 2008. That said, the quality of the attendee was unusually high (KEY decision makers) and the number of really good leads that we captured was high. We spent about 25% of what we spent in 2008 on the exhibit and did much better (leads)."
Dave Sbiroli mentioned "It's the same core group of industry experts that attend the show" in reference to the technical presentations and industry meetings.
Brandon Judd commented "Although we are in the middle of an economic downturn, there was definitely no lack of interest in Indium's solder products at this year's APEX EXPO in
Tim Jensen had this to say, "This year's APEX was probably the best in recent history. While the attendance was down from last year, those who did attend came with a specific purpose: to educate themselves and solve their current issues. At Indium Corporation, we were busy educating customers on the implications of going halogen-free and helping to address their current Pb-Free production challenges."