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TAP TIMES -10- AUGUST 2022
SEMICON West (from 8) disappear, but the end came after 37 years
in 2002. By that time, NEPCON West had
The poster child for electronics trade shrunk so much it no longer needed the
shows is the once-admired NEPCON West. expanse of the Anaheim venue.
This was an annual event held at the Ana-
heim Convention Center, the largest venue In March 2002, the IPC’s APEX show de-
then and now in California and located two buted in the nearby, tiny Long Beach Con-
miles from Disneyland. vention Center. The IPC, led by several of
its larger member companies, had scored
A grand show a coupe against NEPCON West with a rival
NEPCON West occupied almost the totality show that charged less and offered more.
of the Anaheim Convention Center, except
for a small sliver that brought in doll mak- Moving to larger quarters
ers and sellers. Ironically, next year’s APEX show will move
into the former NEPCON West space in the
The show was geared to the buyers of PC
board making and fnishing equipment and giant Anaheim Convention Center.
ran most of a week each year with exhibits
and technical presentations. In NEPCON West’s case, people liked the
Anaheim venue. Failure was caused by a
In its early years, it was unthinkable that host of another problems. Some say
this colossus of a tradeshow could ever greed was the main one. next page
