Message from IMS2012 Publication and Publicity Chairs

There are many good reasons to be part of IMS2012, whether you are an exhibitor, a presenter or an attendee; whether you are a frequent IMS participant or a 1^st time participant. As highlighted by our Motto “Microwaves Without Borders”, 2012 is the year the international microwave symposium will have a true international flavor as the event takes place outside the United States for the second time in its history. Coinciding with the 60^th anniversary of the MTT Society and the IMS, this year’s symposium will take place in beautiful Montreal.  Celebrations including special sessions and exhibits will add a historical perspective to the symposium, bringing together different generations of people in the microwave community, from the pioneers who made a huge impact to the microwave history, to today’s young people currently aspiring to make their impact. This is the chance to meet old friends, get to know new ones, interact with some of the industry’s most prominent pioneers, and see the scope of the MTT and IMS in three dimensions: historical, technological and geographical. 

Presenting in this most prestigious microwave event gives researchers the chance for their work to be disseminated to the most important audience in the microwave community, automatically translating into enhanced career opportunities. For exhibitors, this is the chance to showcase your products to not only the traditional IMS clients from North America, Europe and other developed countries, but also to new microwave clients from emerging economies in various parts of the world. We are expecting increased representation from emerging economies, many of whom have previously not attended IMS.  These microwave experts and technology leaders from emerging economies greatly influence the technologies, standards, and business directions in their own regions.  IMS 2012 will help exhibitors renew existing contacts, and establish new leads for increased business opportunities in new markets.

Our steering committee, working with the Palais des Congrès de Montréal (convention center), is focused on providing convenience to our exhibitors and an attractive atmosphere for visitors, ensuring excellent traffic on the exhibition floor. Montreal is just a short distance from most major cities in eastern US, with convenient transportation by air or land. Our exhibition management team is working with the in house customs broker/freight forwarder to coordinate the shipping of exhibition material through customs directly to the convention center, eliminating duties on any materials sent to the show. Please feel free to check the exhibition pages in our website for more information. 

For IMS participants from North America, Europe and other regions, we look forward to seeing you in IMS2012. This will be a worthwhile trip not only because IMS2012 continues to offer the world-class technical/business benefits that IMS is famed for, but also because the unique travel experience that Montreal offers.  The site of the symposium, the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, is right in the center of the city, walking distance to many tourist attractions including the historic “Old Montreal”. The symposium site is surrounded by restaurants of various styles and types.  China Town is just a short walk away and complimentary transportation passes will be provided to those full registrants who stay in the official hotels, allowing visitors to access anywhere in the city through a convenient metro system and other public transportation.  

Montreal is a very special city with a unique history and culture. The web site by Tourism Montreal  http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Discover-montreal/Montreal-by-theme provides a good guide to family tourism, festivity, cuisine, entertainment, etc. Let the Montreal tourism experience be the best “additional benefit” you ever derive from any IMS, on top of the normal technical/business benefit that IMS always provides. Foreign students will find that Montreal is a multi-cultural city, one to make them feel very much at home, while having the chance to listen to and interact with researchers, industry engineers and designers from around the world. For foreign students who are currently studying in the US, traveling to Montreal is straight forward. Detailed information on entry to Canada and reentry to the US can be found in http://www.canadavisa.com/us-international-student-travel.html. Most students do not require a new visa to return to the US from Canada if the stay in Canada is less than 30 days. 

For our new audience from various parts of the world, IMS2012 is a unique opportunity to experience the largest annual global microwave event.  Compared to the various regional microwave events that you are familiar with, the IMS2012 elevates everything into a whole new level.  You will be surprised to see the sheer scale of Microwave Week, the flagship event of the IEEE MTT Society. You will meet face to face with the most prominent microwave pioneers and inventors that you previously had known only from textbooks or papers.  You will see the latest brand name or new name microwave products that might not be present in local conferences.   You will get the chance to interact with the most active and leading-edge researchers relevant to your own area of work. The straight-forward visa application process makes travel to Montreal extremely convenient for international participants.  So if you have never attended IMS before, make 2012 the year you start. This will open the door for you to get connected with the people of the IEEE MTT society, creating opportunities and benefits for you for many years to come.

We warmly extend our invitation to everybody in the world-wide microwave community: Welcome to IMS2012!