The official number are out for the IEEE MTT-S 2014 International Microwave Symposium (IMS) which was held in Tampa, Florida from the 1st to the 6th of June 2014. This year there were over 7,500 attendees, 35 percent of whom were first time attendees – this is the fourth consecutive year where the first time attendees have crossed the 30% mark. The show floor was completely sold out with 902 Booths occupied by 587 exhibitors, out of which 73 were new exhibitors.
Wireless seemed to be the hot topic this year again, with 11 percent of the total exhibitors indicating that Wireless (WiFi, WiMAX, UWB or other) is the primary end product or service that they focus on in their work. The six-day event welcomed RF designers, researchers, developers and academics representing 50 countries, with the maximum participation coming from the United States (65%) and Germany (4%). There was also strong participation from China (3%), Japan (3%) and Canada (3%).
Along with the three-day exhibition and full schedule of 160 technical sessions, workshops and panel sessions, IMS2014 included the symposium’s first ever science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-focused program, which introduced more than 60 students to microwave electronics through a “day at a conference” experience. The program integrated university and industry educational engagement with technical speakers, hands-on activities, informational tables and an exhibition tour. The STEM program will be returning to IMS2015 in Phoenix.
IMS2014 specifically highlighted women’s contributions to engineering, welcoming Intel Corporations’ Intel Labs Vice President and Director of Integrated Computing Research (ICR) Dr. Vida Ilderem as IMS’ first female plenary session speaker. Additionally, University of California, Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi led the keynote session at the IEEE 2014 Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference (WAMICON), which was co-located with IMS as part of Microwave Week.
The symposium also adopted a more casual tone this year, with General Chair Larry Dunleavy and Vice Chair Tom Weller officially declaring IMS2014 a “No Tie Zone.” Further showcasing Tampa’s culture, Dunleavy welcomed attendees at the kickoff celebration with a barefoot waterskiing performance alongside the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team at the Riverwalk.
everything RF was a press partner for the event. Click here to see the coverage for the IMS 2014 on everything RF.
