Vive Las Vegas!!

I'm not sure how many Europeans will be ready to blow their travel budget travelling to a distribution event in the US, especially when the venue is Las Vegas - that'll impress the boss, who might tell you to win your fare home!!

Even so it might be worth mulling over a trip to the Electronic Distribution Show which is staged at the metropolis of gambling from May 11-14.

Most of the industry's head honchos fly in for the event and I guarantee there won't be too many empty seats when Arrow Electronics president and chief executive officer Bill Mitchell (pictured) gives his keynote speech which addresses the realities of the current market, where the industry stands, and more pertinently, what the industry needs to do. I expect frenzied notge-taking.

Somebody from Motorola, not clear who yet, is going to address strategic sourcing and working with suppliers which should garner a decent audience too.

And NEDA president Robin Gray will be there to give an overview of distribution industry trends and developments.

A first at this year's event is a conference theme devoted to a technology. And if you ever needed proof that lighting is a hot market here it is. Executives from Arrow, Avnet, Future and tyco will discuss lessons from the trenches, their experiences of serving a customer base where knowledge of electronics technology is not always comprehensive. Tom Scholte, president and chief executive officer of Osram Opto Semiconductors will discuss the potential of the LED lighting market. Enormous, I'd say, you'll have to go to Las Vegas to hear Tom's view. For more information go to http://www.edsc.org/

Comments

[Gretchen Oie]

Thanks for the highlighting EDS to be held in viva la vegas in May. Unfortunately not all of the information you mentioned is correct. We were delighted to have Bill Mitchell as our keynoter last year. This year we are featuring an economist -- Dr. Stephen M. Miller. In addition, we will be featuring other hot topics that we are all facing in the industry and they will be announced shortly. We are exciting about the Solid State Lighting Technology Conference which will be held on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.