The Spring exhibition season...no high hopes...some small surprises

As I mentioned previously, our recent trip to Las Vegas for APEX’s second year there saw the show hit hard by the weight of the current down cycle. Though against a backdrop of sensibly conservative expectations, the show generally held its own. But as the Spring exhibition season gathers pace, what of its counterparts around the world?

Next in line was Nepcon Shanghai. Still at the ever dreary, Everbright exhibition center, the show drew over 13,000 according to organizers, which was not a bad number in and of itself, but according to exhibitors it was clear that it will be some time still before the electronics market there can once again be termed buoyant. Not so at the China International Solar PV exhibition that followed, however. There, clear signs of a corner soon turning were evident.  

The real pleasant surprise of the spring group was SMT Nuremberg in mid April. Though similarly scaled expectations were the order of the day, the turnout (at 90% of 2008) ran contrary to the state of the electronics niche to which this show is tailored. Raising hopes for yet another good Productronica in November. I expect we'll be told that Q2 2009 was the bottom of the trough...let's hope so.  Meanwhile, as we always say, marketing is muscle and those with well defined strategies will be fighting fitter right now.