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TAP TIMES -11- AUGUST 2022
SEMICON West (from 10)
This is a view of the front of the San Mateo County Fairgrounds,
t.
now the San Mateo County Event Center.
NEPCON West 2000, the grandaddy of electronics industry trade nes and mask-wearing. Now, although I
shows.
am likely to be accused of circular think-
NEPCON West tried venues in Northern ing, we must return to the decades-long
California and elsewhere, but that didn’t question asked earlier: Is it time for SEMI-
help. The NEPCON name lives on, attached CON West to leave San Francisco for other,
to several trade shows, including NEPCON perhaps greener pastures.
China, however, and is now owned by
RELX. The contract
Although I have asked SEMI repeat-
Fifty years plus edly over the past several years, SEMI
While it’s been booted around for decades has declined to tell me when its contract
by its detractors (and it has more than with San Francisco will be over, which, of
a handful), SEMICON West has outlived course, is their right.
many other forums in the semiconductor
industry. I heard rumblings from a few people who
claim to know that SEMI is investigating
In 2020, the show, according to organizer Las Vegas as a show site. I’ll believe that
SEMI, celebrated its fiftieth year. Near the when I see it in cold, hard, bold-face type.
height of the pandemic, the event was
virtual; the usual venue, Moscone Center, Even the show’s first formal venue, the
was used to house COVID-19 patients by San Mateo Event Center, is probably stilll
San Francisco. available.
Last year, SEMI broke its own mold by The show had a 20-year run there. At the
moving the event from July, the historic time, San Mateo was was also the fair-
month for SEMICON West, to December, grounds and the home of Bay Meadows,
when authorities felt people could once which featured thoroughbred and quarter-
again gather inside. horse racing.
By the apparent exhibitor and visitor Show veterans will remember the tree-
count, the event was not a success. Ad- named halls, still in use by the Center:
mission required proof of COVID vacci- next page
