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TAP TIMES -27- JANUARY 2022
SEMICON West (from 26) When the U.S. government announced on
November 8 that foreign visitors would be
For years, exhibitors have grumbled about admitted into the U.S. with proof of vacci-
the cost to enter the exhibit floor. This nation, we anticipated seeing many of the
year it was $160 (unless you signed-up larger foreign companies at the show.
early), and this likely blindsided some visi-
tors who braved the usually terrible Bay Complicated regulations
Area freeway congestion to reach Moscone But they stayed offshore in droves. Be-
from Silicon Valley and points north and tween the complicated regulations posted
south. by the government — and perhaps be-
cause the announcement came so close to
No BART for the weary show time — foreign exhibitors were few.
The one-time jewel of Northern California’s
public transit system, the Bay Area Rapid The U.S. representative of a large, Asian
Transit District (BART), with its now nearly company, told me that after the second
50-year old cars was an option for people day, he did not feel it was worthwhile to
in the East Bay. return to his booth.
This is a system that doesn’t run in Sili- Plenty of floor space
con Valley — only in a mostly circular path Due to several factors, but mostly because
around San Francisco. Visitors were left of the pandemic, the large equipment
with a dismal choice of car, train or bus. makers that commonly stake their claim
on a premium and costly patch of SEMI-
CON West floor space were absent.
Many companies with mostly unfamiliar
names, it seems, that have not exhibited
in the past, took some of the available
spots.
This year North Hall was used only for registration and some
workshops. At past shows, it was used for assembly and test.
(TAP TIMES)
Staying away in droves
Contributing Editor Martin Hart, who has
exhibited at SEMICON West for decades,
stayed away this year.
Hart, however, plans to attend the IPC’s Most foreign visitors and exhibitors, due to the complexity of
APEX event in San Diego this month, he travel during the pandemic, stayed away from SEMICON West.
said. His company, TopLine Corp. in Ir- South Korean company Youngdo Global was an exception.
(TAP TIMES)
vine, Calif., makes dummy components,
and he will be shopping for some new There was, of course, no SEMICON West
manufacturing equipment. next page
