Smaller recent technical conferences and exhibitions have signaled a general optimism concerning the near-term business outlook for the RF/microwave industry, an optimism reminiscent of the early 1990s and the beginnings of “the wireless revolution.” Of course, those smaller shows, such as the IEEE 2017 Long Island Microwave Symposium (April 6, Hauppauge, N.Y.), are merely warmups for the one annual event that is “the granddaddy of them all”: The IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS).
Scheduled to take place from June 4-9, 2017 for the full conference and June 6-8, 2017 for the exhibition hall, the show planned for the vacation-like setting of Honolulu, Hi., causing some of the industry’s major players, such as Mini-Circuits, Synergy Microwave Corp., and Tektronix, to opt out. As a result, the exhibition show floor will be somewhat smaller than in years past, certainly compared to 2016’s bustling event in San Francisco. Still, the 2017 IMS Exhibition will boast booths for more than 500 RF/microwave companies, which will display enough items of interest to keep most high-frequency engineers away from the beach for at least a few days.