Go “All In” at the 2008 IPC Designers Summit in Las Vegas

Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Conference & Exhibition: Tuesday-Thursday, April 1-3, 2008
Meetings: March 29-April 3, 2008
www.goipcshows.org/ds 

The 2008 IPC Designers Summit, in conjunction with IPC Printed Circuits Expo & APEX, will be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The IPC Designers Council is excited to pack so much into one exciting week. Highlighting the Summit is our annual Designers Day program, where several prominent industry leaders will be on hand discuss the latest advancements in PCB design. In addition, choose from over 60 full or half-day educational courses on the focused session of your choice, network with colleagues, stop by the one of industry’s largest technical conferences, and hit the show floor to evaluate suppliers — all in one trip! Oh, and did we mention it’s in Las Vegas?

IPC and IPC Designers Council Members Save Even More! We recognize your continued support of the IPC and the Designers Council. To show our appreciation for being a valued member, we’re offering you the chance to maximize the return on your investment. We’ve developed a voucher good for an additional $50 off registration for Designers Day or the Designers Day Package. This voucher can be used in addition to the 20% off you receive for registering by March 4th AND the $50 Designers Council membership coupon — an incredible value! The voucher is for our Very Important Designers or VIDs, so your company’s IPC membership or your IPC Designers Council membership must be valid. Go to www.goipcshows.org/ds-VID for directions on how to apply the discounts while registering.

Designers Day

Monday, March 31st

We’ll admit it — we’ve got some aces up our sleeve. We’ve got the “Who’s Who” of industry leaders delivering the most comprehensive set of sessions we’ve ever assembled in one conference. Happy Holden, Rick Hartley, Eric Bogatin, Gary Ferrari, Dieter Bergman — they’ll all be there to share their experiences and teach you the lessons they’ve learned over a lifetime of work. We took to heart your suggestions for more information on HDI technology, high speed, signal integrity, embedded passives, and lead free materials selection. Next year’s Designers Summit is upping the ante, now it’s up to you to call. Are you serious about taking your skills to the next level… or are you bluffing?  

Designers Day includes a full-day program, including lunch and the Designers Day reception. In addition, you’ll have free entrance to the show floor, Tuesday evening “Happy Hour” reception, standards development meetings, keynote sessions, free forums and poster sessions. Add one full- or two half-day courses and save up to $145 with the Designers Day Package. Go to www.goipcshows.org/ds-reg for information on the different registration options for Designers Day.

Designers Day Agenda

IPC Designer (CID) & Advanced (CID+) Designer Certification Workshop & Exam

Workshop: Thursday-Friday, March 27-28           
Exam: Saturday, March 29th

The most effective designers must have a solid foundation in PCB fabrication and assembly — that’s why IPC developed the IPC Designer and Advanced Designer Certification Programs. Designer Certification is a powerful credential for in promoting your role, expertise, and commitment to excellence to everyone involved in the production of printed circuit boards and assemblies. Don’t get left behind, join the over 4,000 designers who have earned this industry-accredited certification. The Advanced Certification is open to anyone possessing a valid CID designation.

Educational Courses

Sunday, Monday and Thursday, March 30th, 31st and April 3rd

Choose from an extensive array of full- and half-day courses. There are plenty of design-related courses that offer useful, real-world education on the technologies used to implement your designs. Here are just some of the highlights:

Sunday, March 30th — 9:00am-12:00pm

1. ABCs of Grounding Including Analog and Digital Planes, Robert Hanson, Americom Seminars, Inc
2. High Speed Printed Circuit Design — A Practical Approach, Richard Hartley, L-3 Communication Avionics Systems
3. The Basics of PCB Design, Susy Webb, Fairfield Industries

Sunday, March 30th — 2:00pm-5:00pm

1. “Back to Basics” — PCB Design for the Non-PCB Designer, Debbie Nygaard, Honeywell, Inc
2. Vias and their Effects on High Speed Digital Signals, Robert Hanson, Americom Seminars, Inc
3. True Design for Reliability — Understanding What Is and What is Not DfR, Craig Hilman, Ph. D., DfR Solutions
4. Mixed Signal PC Board Design, RF, Analog, and Digital, Richard Hartley, L-3 Avionics Systems

Thursday, April 3rd — 9:00am-12:00pm

1. Hands-On Advanced Technology: Design for High Density Interconnect & Embedded Passives, Michael Fitts, Plexus Corporation

Technical Conference

Tuesday-Thursday, April 1-3rd

This technical conference is known worldwide as one of the finest and most selective in the world. Take advantage of new research and innovations from key industry players in the areas of board design and manufacture, and electronics assembly.

As you can see, there are plenty of activities for PCB designers at the 2008 IPC Designers Summit so start planning your trip to Las Vegas today. With all the knowledge you’ll take back home with you, this will be the one time we don’t say “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”