IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2014 - 48

White Hot

by Robert V. White

aPEc: Even the Best Has room
for Improvement

A

s I write this column, I am preparing for the 2014 IEEE
Applied Power Electronics
Conference and Exposition (APEC). I
have attended APEC every year since
1987 and every APEC Program Committee meeting since 1988, served
many years on the APEC Conference
and Steering Committees, and twice
served as the APEC general chair. So
yes, I admit my bias toward APEC.
In my opinion, APEC is the best
conference for power electronics
professionals working in the industry. The conference gives me a great
mix of technical content and the opportunity to connect in person with
old friends and colleagues as well as
make new friends and colleagues. I
learn as much from hallway conversations as I do from the rest of the
conference.
One area where APEC has done
an outstanding job for many years is
the professional education seminars.
Every year, there is a great selection
of topics, presented at levels from beginner to expert by the best speakers
in the business. The APEC seminar
chairs and committee have used the
seminar feedback forms to continually steer the APEC seminar program
to ever higher levels of excellence.
The APEC exhibits have become
incredible in their own right. We all
have our favorite suppliers for every
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPEL.2014.2312281
Date of publication: 20 June 2014

48

IEEE PowEr ElEctronIcs MagazInE

treatment. I know that there was no
kind of component, software, and
improper behavior by the APEC comservices. What I like about APEC is
mittee. To the casual observer, howthe ability to see the latest offerings
ever, there certainly appeared to have
from a wider array of suppliers than
been a quid pro quo in place.
the preferred supplies chosen by the
This is a problem not just with APEC
purchasing department. I generally
but other IEEE conferences, too. I go
find the people working the booths at
to an IEEE conference to get the best,
APEC are skilled, knowledgeable, and
highest-quality, unbiased technical
willing to take the time to talk in depth
content, and not sales
about how they can
pitches. When IEEE
solve your problems.
I may or may not
conferences become
I may or may not
saturated in advertiscome away from the
come away from the
ing, I no longer see a
Exhibit Hall with a
Exhibit Hall with a
difference between
new favorite supplier
new favorite supplier
an IEEE conference
or favorite switchor favorite switching
and the commercial,
ing transistor, but I
transistor, but I always
for-profit conferencalways come away
come away with new
es whose content is
with new ideas and
more sales pitch than
new perspectives.
ideas and new
bias-free education.
A nd t hat ma ke s
perspectives.
Selling advertising
my visit to the Exmay put more money
hibit Hall more than
in the conference bank account, but, to
worth my time.
me, the cost in prestige and perceived
As much as I love APEC, in my opinquality far outweighs the extra dollars.
ion, there are some opportunities for
The other key area where APEC
improvement. One trend I really dislike
needs improvement is the techniis the increased commercialization of
cal papers. To me, the papers have
the conference. In recent years, APEC,
become the least interesting portion
like many IEEE conferences, has been
of the conference. One issue, which,
selling advertising to fill out the inagain, plagues all IEEE conferences,
come side of the budget-but seeing
is simply poor presentations by the
signage promoting the partner compaspeakers. Too many speakers stand
nies all over the conference areas and
with their backs to the audience,
getting a bag full of advertising when
reading the text of their slides while
I register just rubs me the wrong way.
A recent incident gave the appearance
of "pay-to-play," when a leading advertiser appeared to receive very special
(continued on p. 46)

z June 2014



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2014

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