Living Connected at ECIA’s Executive Conference

Electronics distributors, manufacturers meet October 26-28 for industry conference featuring experts on all things “connected,” including wearable technology, advances in sensors, and more

Next month, the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) will hold its annual Executive Conference at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Chicago. The conference takes place from October 26-28 and will give industry professionals the opportunity to learn about the latest trends and prepare their businesses for the future.

ECIA foundation director, Debbie Conyers, weighed in on what this year’s conference brings to the table: “The theme of this year’s conference is Living Connected. Speakers will explore the industry impact and influence of the Internet of Things, the Cloud, smart devices, and wearable technologies. And, aside from the industry, how they are changing our day-to-day lives.”

Conference topics include opportunities and economics of the new technologies; big data analysis; optimizing market share; implications of crowd funding; and maximizing social platforms—how to use them to sell, hire, and connect to the next generation.

There are many anticipated speakers at this year’s conference, including Chris Dancy, who Conyers says should prove especially interesting. Dancy will discuss “The Human Information System—BYOD, Wearable Computing, and Imperceptible Electronics.” Dancy has 300-700 sensors, devices, applications, and services monitoring his body and surroundings non-stop. He plans to discuss how wearable technology can be used to people’s advantage, given how data affects our personal lives and culture.

Dale Ford, vice president of industry research firm IHS Technology, will present “True Numbers For Everything Connected.” As an electronics industry expert, Ford will discuss the increasing focus that has been placed on “the Cloud” and the “Internet of Things.” He will focus on examples that enable an interdependent ecosystem such as advanced MEMS and image sensor technologies, wearable electronics, low power, and high-speed wireless communication. Additionally, Janusz Bryzek, Ph. D., founder of TSensors Summit, will discuss how the demand for sensors will transform the industry during: “Living Connected Through A Trillion Sensors.” Sensor demand is predicted to enter the trillions in the next 10 years—an effect of the “Abundance” theory he will address regarding how world problems can be solved in 20 years.

Joe Grand, president of Grand Idea Studios, will discuss “The Pitfalls and Perils of Poor Security.” As a hacker, he will account clever hacks and discuss the risks manufacturers are faced with when it comes to embedded system design. He will also go into how to make products more secure. “Pay it Forward—Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders” with president of FIRST Donald E. Bossi will address how living connected also applies to mentoring young people for the next generation. FIRST focuses on young people’s interest in science and technology by engaging them in mentor programs to build STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills.

Rounding out the talks on the final morning will be Michael Knight, senior vice president of TTI Americas and John Denslinger, president and CEO of ECIA. They will discuss the rebranding of ECIA and provide updates on the site eciaauthorized.com. Conference registration is open now and a discounted rate is available until October 3 ($895 for ECIA members and $1325 for non-members). After October 3, the rate for ECIA members is $1050 and non-members pay $1475. Additionally, members are offered a multiple attendees discount of $545 per person for the third registrant and subsequent attendees from the same company. Registration is available online: ECIANOW.org/Register/ExC.html. A mobile app will also be available so attendees can get updates and access to other attendees and speakers.