Final Preparations for MTT-S IMS2011! Let the Crab Feast Begin!

• 9 Agilent Workshops reviewed – check
• 19 MicroApp Papers reviewed - check
• Nonlinear Expert Forum registered – check
• IMS Student Design Competition on calendar - check
• 9 new products ready to introduce - check
• 16 stations, 25 application demos – check
• 13 partners in Agilent Avenue coordinated - check
• Flat panel displays, PCs procured - check
• 1000s of lbs equipment shipped – check
• Over 100 factory executives and experts trained – check
• Good shoes, Ibuprofen packed - check

Microwave Week and the IEEE MTT-S IMS2011 show is just around the corner beginning with Workshops and Short Courses on Sunday June 5th and culminating on Friday with the ARFTG and additional workshops. In-between thousands of industry leaders and technology innovators will gather at the Baltimore Convention Center to learn about the latest RF and microwave challenges and advances from policy and law to new modeling technologies, new applications in medicine and biology to issues critical to successful deployment of 4G communications, or next generation radar/EW or satellite systems.

As the Platinum Sponsor of the event, we are in the unique position of not only exhibiting the latest test and measurement technology but also providing access to over 100 of the top technology innovators in industry through technical papers, MicroApp presentations on the exhibit floor, expert panels, workshops, short-courses and a number of private seminars and events.

As you can imagine, any event that organizes hundreds of people to interact with thousands of industry leaders is a huge undertaking requiring months of planning, careful coordination and flawless execution. That’s why this week before as we’re doing the final packing, completing our checklists and handling those last minute issues we do it with growing excitement and expectation mixed with a bit of worry – will it all go okay?

This year, the show committee has done an excellent job of going green – reducing print material by including abstracts in the program book. In addition there’s a cool iPAD/iPhone or Android application (no Blackberry) for navigating the show that should increase efficiency and reduce waste.

For those of us at Agilent —along with many exhibitors and industry innovators—the IMS show is a chance to connect our experts and executives with others in the industry. I hope you’ll follow this blog over the next few days as I provide comments on the show from an exhibitor’s perspective.

Now to prepare my list of meals ... crab cakes, crab salad, ... crab feast!