The annual Semico Summit (www.semico.com) is one of those you-heard-it-here-first events.  And, this year,  there was a lot to hear if you were listening carefully.

The Summit’s goal is not to draw hoards of attendees, but rather a tight group of executives who can test-drive their ideas on the toughest audience around:  their peers.  The combination of a small number of participants,  a serenely beautiful desert venue, and the casual atmosphere created by the hosts all make the Summit a place to relax, talk and really think about business without distraction.

This March, following one of the toughest years in the semiconductor industry – with the possibility of being embroiled in yet another one -- Semico asked executives to talk about a “formula for success”.   The speakers more than met the challenge.

Jim Feldhan, president & CEO of Semico, opened the session by pointing out some good news:  Since portable electronics are “on-the-go purchases”, consumers can buy these items spontaneously with ready cash or credit cards. That makes low-ticket electronics a potential growth market.  Any bright spot is welcome these days. But that point merely served to underscore the thesis of comments that followed; ie, that portability, mobility, anywhere-anytime communication is the future.

The Formula for Success – and Some Advice Along the Way

Interesting commentary, but I was more interested in learning what executives prescribed to concoct the elusive formula for success. The trick to the formula, of course, is knowing how to mix components and implement them. 

These are some ingredients and advice that caught my attention because they were running threads throughout the event:

Jim Feldhan, president & CEO, Semico Research.

Defensive spending on infrastructure is necessary to pull out of the current economic slump.

Larry Sumney, SRC Corporation: 

Look to universities to assist with R&D programs.

Collaboration fuels economics.  Companies need collaboration in pre-competitive areas to spur innovation.

Hossein Yassaie, Ph.D, CEO, Imagaination Technologies:

Be market focused, but not customer driven so you don’t go down the wrong path.

Christine King, President & SMSC: 

Despite a down economy, no one is giving up their handhelds.

Tim Volt, Director, Intel:  

Collaboration is key, but manage your supply chain to ensure continuity. 

Pick partners carefully and keep the supply chain lean. “Complexity is the enemy.” You can’t collaborate with everyone.

Agility counts. Agility. Agility. Agility.

Moshe Gavrielov, President & CEO, Xillinx:

You must adapt quickly: be agile.  Face reality quickly and move to a new low capital/cost model.

Partner and innovate new business models.

Plan and invest prudently for the upturn.

Measuring Success

Wally Rhines, president & CEO of Mentor Graphics, hosted the informative last session of the event.   He asked panelists how to measure success.  Of course, financials are the bottom line to any corporate measurement, but here are some qualitative yardsticks:

1)      Your company’s technical relevance to problems.

2)      Your company’s growth within your market space.

3)      Agility.

4)      An ‘obsession for yield”.

5)      Consistent performance and rapid response to change.  (ie, the agility factor)

6)      Evolve in tune with the market.

Power. Agility. Power. Agility. Did I mention power?

Repeatedly, agility was mentioned or referenced as a key ingredient to success.  And achieving or delivering low power is a mandatory attribute to any product as part of the formula for technology success.

Some final thoughts from speakers:

1)      Innovate.

2)      Collaborate.

3)      Meet a need.

4)      Be green.

5)      Be fiscally responsible.

6)      Manage risk.

7)      Advance technology.

8)      Shorten time to revenue.

Remember:

1)      Technology’s potential has not been fully reached – not by a long shot.

2)      The semiconductor industry still fuels new markets.

3)      Kids are kings and queens.  They are tech-savvy consumers and their demand for electronic novelties will only continue to grow.

So, there it is – a formula for success. Good luck to the magicians who can mix the right brew.

-ends-

The SPIE Photonics West conference and exhibition (www.spie.org) closed today, making the event a bright memory on many levels.  Attendees jammed sessions and the exhibit halls – even when the ice cream carts and coffee urns were out of sight. 

Approximately 1100 exhibitors crammed the San Jose Convention Center.  Flags, banners and signs hanging from the ceiling signaled company exhibits and pavilions  from the likes of Canada, France, Germany, and Scotland, as well as the state of Arizona.  Vivid oranges, blues, and splashes of the rainbow, along with lights (of course), exhibits and noise announced that light-driven technology business is ready for implementation and growth.  It was not what I anticipated, especially, after reading the December 17 news release issued by Laser Focus World Magazine.  That announcement estimated that the 2008 market would turn in $7.1 billion in sales – only 3.7% growth over 2007.  Not a bad performance, given the 2^nd half financial drain, but the release called for a downturn of 11% over 2009. (http://www.marketplaceseminar.com/etc/medialib/lfw/documents.Par.80476.File.dat/LMP09%20PressRelease_081217.pdf)  With that forecast fresh in my mind, I thought the show would be a shadow of the 2008 event. 

Talking to people at the show, some similar themes emerged. Many folks commented that photonics/light sources represent a technology that can lead the United States – and other countries – out of the economic slump we’re in.  Everyone I met raved about this industry sector as a technology for the future – and that it was a technology ready for implementation now.  With that kind of belief and enthusiasm, almost anything is possible.

Many people also commented that President Obama’s support of science and technology will lead to policies that will put more focus on the light industry.  That means national attention on technology and the companies making those technologies work for in the marketplace, along with the jobs that need to be created to put products in the hands of customers.

Leaving SPIE, I took a ride to Santa Clara to walk the RTECC floor. This small one-day event focuses on doing business today.   It’s a purely marketing event with exhibitors housed in small exhibits – some only 5 feet wide – but no matter – but all ready to strike a deal.  About 54 companies clustered in the hall – a good size for a narrow market segment.  Completely different from SPIE in nature, topic, content, and personality – the event nevertheless showed that companies are determined to do business as usual – so far.  No one can predict the future, but SPIE Photonics and RTECC showed that many companies are prepared to be ready for the upturn in any form it takes.  That’s the sure sign of a winner.

Trends

One of the most interesting trends that I saw on the show floor was the move toward smaller exhibits.  I think this is a good idea. The purpose of a show booth is to keep your company name in the limelight, to focus on what’s new or important, and to host a space where your marketing and sales teams can network.  The big-box look of older shows appears to be going by the wayside, and I think that’s a good sign for the times. 

Companies are also using pull-up, stand-alone banners that can be used inside a booth and then placed as a signpost inside the company lobby. This is smart re-use of signage and keeps the company brand in the spotlight even after the show is over.

A company’s differentiation and brand are based on its messages. Many exhibitors made excellent use of their booth backdrop to spotlight their value to the marketplace.  Not by putting every data point on the booth ‘skin’, but by condensing the message down to a few words that attendees could grasp in the three seconds they gave to each exhibit.   

It’s wonderful to think that a company website and search engine will lead customers to your door.  But, I think the real market winners will be those companies that understand there is no replacement like the face-to-face interaction that shows deliver.

 -ends-

The economic slump has put high-tech in the doldrums once again, allowing the global industry to maintain its roller-coaster financial performance.  It seem that some economic indicator hits the industry every few years, slowing sales and giving everyone time to throw out the old strategic plan and develop a new one. 

Conferences, trade shows and industry events are not immune to the ups and downs of economics, but they are the one marketing opportunity that anyone can benefit from, regardless of whether the market is in a boom or bomb.

Event Benefits

In slow times, conferences and shows are an excellent way to learn about new technologies and key players within a market sector.  The speakers are typically people at the top of their game, well known for their knowledge of the industry and the technologies that drive it. 

Walking the show floor is another element of education.  You can learn who the players are, how they promote and differentiate their company, and what their products actually do.  Exhibits are not just about the big companies either.  Smaller companies at the fringes of the exhibit space offer some innovative solutions.  The downside is that they don’t promote themselves very well, so looking beyond the surface is mandatory if you walk these peripheral aisles.

Conference sessions are a key element of a successful event.  Naysayers complain that presenters are too focused on selling their company and products, but even in the most marketing-oriented presentations, you can still learn a lot about what the company sees as its primary selling points. This is a great way to understand the competition and out-sell them.

Most conferences demand that only one foil be company-centric. There are violations to the rule, but many companies do try to follow the guidelines, giving attendees an excellent fast-track education on technology challenges and possible solutions.

Networking Opportunities

Shows are a great place to network and become part of the inner circle of the business.  It’s amazing, however, to see the number of people who shake hands, exchange personal info and then announce they do not have business cards with them.  That’s an “F” in marketing 101, by the way.  Your business card is the cheapest form of PR that you can do.

Upcoming Events

Here are some important upcoming events focusing on new technologies:

SPIE Photonics (www.spie.org). Takes place January 24 - 29. Everything you want to know about light sources, technologies, and trends.

ISSCC (www.isscc.org). Feb 8 – 12, San Francisco.   This conference looks at the most advanced solid state circuits and systems-on-chip.  Excellent venue for future trends in semiconductors.

SPIE Advanced Lithography (www.spie.org). February 22 – 27.  Another technology event, this one looks at litho, metrology, process technology, and manufacturing topics.  I’ve found that this conference also sets the tone for the industry’s overall business health.  If the technologists are happy, then everyone should be happy.

In March, executives will head to Scottsdale for the Semico Summit (www.semico.com) March 8 – 10.   This is one of the last remaining industry (versus association-sponsored) conferences that focuses on business trends across the semiconductor industry. Clearly a networking event, the goal in attending here is to meet your peers and competitors and understand how they are positioning their companies. 

There are many more worthwhile events happening every week around the world.   It’s worth a jolt to your career to get out of the office and learn what’s happening in your current or future career.

Go. See. Do. Be.

-ends-

Barbara Kalkis, Maestro Marketing & PR (sm)

A year ago, my husband and I sat in the doctor’s office awaiting blood test results.  He’d had a nagging cough, but his lung x-rays were clear.  He looked like the picture of health.   Only four months earlier, he had backpacked the 60-miles between Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern Sierra and Yosemite Valley. The trek took him and his friend up to 11,600’ before starting down the canyon to Curry Village. On the way, he scaled Half Dome for the 8^th time.  Everyone told him he looked great and he kept remarking that he never felt better. The only problem was the cough that wouldn’t go away.

Following two rounds of blood tests, we sat in the office waiting for the doctor to give us results.  I expected comments on high cholesterol, but was not prepared for the diagnosis.

The cough was a symptom of prostate cancer. 

In one instant, our lives changed.

As we discovered, it is impossible to talk to anyone who has not been touched by cancer within the family or circle of friends, so there’s no need for me to recount the emotional and physical trauma of our experience. 

What I’d like to convey are four myths about prostate cancer that everyone should understand:

1)      Prostate cancer (PC)  is slow growing.

This is only true for men over 75 years old. Even men over 70 may find this true.  Like all cancers, it depends on the stage of cancer when detected.  Singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg died three years after being diagnosed with the disease. He was only 56 years old. 

2)      PC is easily treatable.

Yes, if your PSA is in a 1 to 4 range,  and/or you’re at stage one of the disease. If the cancer is on the wall of the prostate, the cancer has advanced, putting a man into a new treatment ballgame.

3)      Tests often show false positives.

Once, yes. Twice, maybe.  Three times, no.  If your tests repeatedly show high PSA count and you think you’re fine, have someone pinch you.  You’re dreaming.

4)      You can follow a  “watchful waiting” regimen, instead of having treatment.

This is a recommendation for older men.  And even then, it depends on the stage of the cancer.

Annual blood tests with PSA counts are mandatory.  Prostate cancer is not avoidable, but it can be detected at an early or earlier stage if one is tested annually.

-ends-

Barbara Kalkis, Maestro Marketing & PR (sm)

October 2009 will mark the 80^th anniversary of the start of the Great Depression.  By next October, however, we will be one year into what looks like that grim era.  Those of us in the semiconductor industry should be used to it.  We’ve seen the semiconductor industry slide many times over the past 30 years.  We could shrug off this latest downturn by quoting Yogi Berra’s great line, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”  But that quote really doesn’t capture the spirit of this scenario.  I think a better commentary on these times can be taken from George Santayana’s work, Reason in Common Sense:  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Remember the 4^th-quarter slide of 1984?  The US semiconductor industry accused Japanese memory makers of dumping memories into the market at rock-bottom prices that were eroding US manufacturers.  The Semiconductor Industry Association (www.sia-online.org) companies banded together and pounded on Washington DC’s ‘door’ and demanded trade agreements that ensured a level playing field for sales. 

Prior to 1990, it was clear that dedicated foundries were going to change microchip manufacturing.  Young fabless companies banded together to form the Fabless Semiconductor Association -- now the Global Semiconductor Alliance (www.gsaglobal.org).  They didn’t march to Washington. They marched to Wall Street instead and demanded -- and got – recognition.  Thanks to their efforts, fabless companies and dedicated foundries became recognized industry sectors. In my view, the success of their efforts caught the traditional semiconductor industry veterans completely off-guard.  In the end, the GSA has created an organization that dwarfs the SIA in terms of membership and influence. Although if it doesn’t learn some lessons about the importance of organizational cooperation, it may have lose its relevance.

The Fab Owners Association (www.waferfabs.org) organized in part to bring the benefits of economies of scale to chipmakers that own their own fabs.  And, in my view, got out-maneuvered on Wall Street and in perception by the fabless companies.  In my view, this FOA model  focuses on the advantages of collaboration at a functional, tactical level.

These organizations and the global Semiconductor Equipment & Materials International organization, or SEMI (www.semi.org) have helped the industry weather downturns. They’ve also been central to the industry’s best advances.   I believe they helped our industry set some of the highest standards for quality, yield, and reliability of any industry.  They have investigated their own practices to improve environmental, health and safety issues.  They’ve been a watchdog for technology and proponent of education and corporate citizenship.

Membership in these organizations is even more critical in the current environment.

I’d like to propose a three-part initiative called A.I. M.:

1)      ADVOCACY.   In down markets, the worst action is to go it alone.  Our collective and individual strength is through the organizations that speak for all of us. If an organization dies, there is no advocacy for the industry.

Just as companies must maintain membership, organizations must do more to build advocacy for the industry, for technology prowess, for education or new engineers, scientists, researchers, and teachers. 

Our industry organizations must start educating government and the community about the importance of technology and how it affects everyone’s quality of life. Our organizations sometimes spend too much time talking to themselves.

2)      INNOVATION.  Companies must continue to develop new technologies.   Consortia and R&D institutes, such as IMEC (www.imec.be), Fraunhofer Institute (www.fraunhofer.de), Semiconductor Research Corporation (www.src.org), or even the new College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering (www.cnse.albany.edu) are central to exploring the next breakthroughs.   Collaborative R&D is reduces the cost, risk, resources and time needed to translate innovation into shippable products. What’s not to like here?

Innovation also means looking to utilize current technologies in new ways. Solar energy is a trendy topic today.  But I think sensors, Laser, and LEDs have the brightest future in the breakthrough arena.  MEMS?  Potentially –yes.

3)      MARKETING.   Okay, so I’m a marketer.  Even if I wasn’t, this would still have to top the list.   Companies claim they know who their customers are.  Do you know what your customers want?

After the 2001 dot-com “bomb”, I saw many companies stop advertising and marketing.  When business sparked in 2004, many companies were completely unprepared and lost their lead positions or disappeared.  We are lucky to have a dedicated industry press. Start working with them to develop new ways to maintain your relationships and build new ones you may not know or think about.

Beyond marketing a product, customers want the big picture. Successful companies speak at seven levels:  their product; their company’s ability to support the product; the technology enabling the product; the business climate for the product; the industry’s work in the product sector (this speaks to infrastructure support); the customer’s need for the product; and the vision for the product in terms of how it improves lifestyle.

Marketing must also be done at the industry organization level. It is great to host conferences, trade shows, working groups, and issue a news release now and then, but those efforts are not resonating with the general public.  Collectively, we must market the advantages of technology to people who rely on it without thinking about it. And to those who can improve the lives of others by utilizing it. 

We’ve seen the steel industry leave this country. The automotive industry is ready to step out the country’s door.  We need to decide what kind of history we want the next generation to remember for the semiconductor industry.  Let’s not re-live history.  Let’s write a new one.

These are personal views of Barbara Kalkis, Maestro Marketing & PR (sm)

I watched a Nintendo Wii ® commercial the other night.  The theme of their holiday pitch is that you can exercise, do yoga, dance, play air guitar, whatever,  in the privacy of your own home. One shot showed a parent fondly looking on as the child exercised. Is this really entertainment?

Sure, technology allows us to exercise and play when we can’t get out. But is this really what you would call “family fun”?  It strikes me as another good tool that may build more barriers between family members and encourage solitary entertainment.

Digital gadgets allow us to download music and listen to it while we walk, skate, run, ride, drive and move.  The Nintendo Wii ® and other gadgets are great, but for family fun, great entertainment, this is the best time of year to explore the thrill of live theatre.  

With live theatre, you are part of the visual feast of color, light, action, music, drama, and complete audience environment.  Remember seeing “Jaws” in the theatre?  Every time the music strummed, you knew the shark was going to chomp another victim.  Everyone in the theatre felt the predator’s presence and reacted together. That group reaction added to the experience.  Live theatre evokes the same reaction, but in a greater sense because you are face to face with the actors, dancers and musicians.  There’s an electricity that has nothing to do with electrical outlets that fills an auditorium -- and your mind.

With holidays dotting these December days, live theatre is a refreshing break from the pace of our virtual days filled with emails, phone calls and long-distance, arms-length communication.

Go. Enjoy. See. Be. 

This blog is the personal view of its author, Barbara Kalkis, Maestro Marketing & Public Relations (sm).

I read a variety of magazines to gain a broad perspective on the news. These include the print and online publications of US and international publications  that I consider staples of the semiconductor industry:  The mail carrier, Steve, grumbles as he hauls up boxes loaded with magazines following one of my trips, but I am an information junkie. 

One of my favorite reads is Popular Science, also known after its email address as “PopSci”  (www.popsci.com).  While the semiconductor industry focuses on the micro- and nano-electronics aspects of technology, PopSci takes a futuristic view to show how those same technologies will find their way into our homes, cars, healthcare and pockets.  Some of the ideas are far-fetched and would cause a design engineer to gag over his cold sandwich as he pores over a schematic.  Some ideas even cause me to laugh and I’m not a techie by any stretch.  I attribute the outrageous “Dick Tracy” kind of ideas to the wild creativity of humankind and celebrate it.  However, most articles explain the actual implementation of technology in the exact ways that engineers hope for.  This is what makes the magazine a must-read.

When you read about your company’s technology in PopSci, you know it has arrived in the consciousness of the mainstream consumer.

Laggard R&D Funding Hits Mainstream Consciousness

The November issue held a surprise.  Tucked in between the articles on a blue LED mouse that can operate off any surface, a combination car-helicopter and infrared photography, is a succinct one-page overview of the status of R&D in the USA  (“Research Development”, Popular Science, November 2008, page 80).  This single page vividly illustrates the dangerous slide that the United States has fallen into because of diminishing investment in R&D.  When that story reaches PopSci, you can bet it has become a cause for concern among mainstream Americans.   The charts are mandatory reading for those of us in the technology business. PopSci deserves strong credit for bringing the data to the mainstream reader. 

This one-page report shows --  among other things -- that:  

1)      The USA is 8^th in the world in R&D spending

2)      R&D spending in the US has remained flat over the past 50 years

3)      In 1997, the USA exported $32 Billion more in technology products, but suffered an imbalance of $52 Billion by the end of 2007.

Financing Our Future

How are we expected to finance our future and our country’s future with this lazy approach to R&D and the importance of science and technological innovation?  Isn’t  it really up to high-tech companies working through their industry organizations to drive the conversation toward action?  The first question requires discussion among diverse groups.  The answer to the second question should be a straightforward “yes”.

These are tough times, and talking about money for any worthy purpose is equally tough. But while we all look out for ourselves, we also need to look out for our companies, our industry and our country’s well-being. They are all connected. 

Collaborate and Compete

Other companies and countries are busily working on nurturing high-technology prowess and innovation.  One example is a news release I issued today on behalf of my client, IMEC (www.imec.be).  Many of you know IMEC as one of the world’s leading independing R&D centers based in Belgium.  While their flagship R&D began in semiconductor process technologies, they’ve long since branched out into a myriad of applications far afield from wafer manufacturing.

Today’s news release announced what IMEC calls a ‘comprehensive joint research contract” with Panasonic (NYSE: PC, and www.panasonic.net).  The two companies will collaboratively research semiconductor processes, networks, wireless, and biomedical technologies.

Following the announcement, a journalist asked me about the future of R&D.  With 30 years of semiconductor industry experience behind me, here’s my opinion. It has

nothing to do with clients, but more about the future of our industry and America.

R&D has been a critical competitive factor in the semiconductor industry for years.  Just consider government contract work with  DARPA and NASA. But I believe the best recent example is the successful collaboration between foundries and fabless semiconductor companies.  This alliance of two 1980s-era new business models nurtured growth of both business models and cleverly displaced the semiconductor device-maker model as the darling of Wall Street.  

Various consortia have varying degrees of success in the collaboration model. However, I do not believe that it is the fault of consortia that some fail to live up to their potential.   It is difficult to live the value of cooperation versus talking about it.

Collaborative research & development allows companies to investigate technologies that are out of reach financially or even logically when going it alone in these tough economic times.  A great idea may be lurking in the lab, but companies funding their own research need to shut the door on creativity outside their strategic plan.  And so good ideas wither away. 

Collaboration reduces the cost of research by pooling monies.  Joint research brings together fresh minds, ideas, talents and perspectives not available within a single company. 

Risk vs. Reward

Risks are shared and the consequences diminished.  If an idea works in the lab but has no “feet” for the long run to market, it’s not the end of the world for participants.  And when ideas work, companies can get to market faster through collaboration. 

Collaboration is not the elimination of competition; it is the foundation for it.

Take a look at the PopSci article and see the downward trend that we are on.  Perhaps you can make the trek to your retirement safely.  But you may not if we do not invest in the part of the future that we all share.

These are personal views of Barbara Kalkis, Maestro PR.

My Southwest flight from San Jose to Detroit Metro stopped at Chicago Midway and picked up the usual suspects attending the Convergence Auto Show.  I say ‘suspects’ because I don’t know for sure that everyone was going to the show, as I was. But they appeared to be attendees from their dress:  Visualize passengers loaded down with the usual paraphernalia associated with show attendees:  Dress jackets already crumpled from sitting in the airport worn over equally crumpled Dockers.  Human beasts of burden trying to convey last-minute messages on their phones while hauling carry-on luggage and backpacks with laptop computers, Blackberries ® , iPhones®, earphones, and presentations – all with the sense of urgency that accompanies any departure from the office. It was a classic travel scene.  Watching it shows how well technology has allowed us to carry our office on our backs.  (Is that a good thing?)

Returning home, however, my flight took me from Detroit to San Jose via Phoenix.   It was if I had stepped out of the reality of the electronics Convergence show and, like Alice in Wonderland, had fallen down some hole into another world.  I somehow happened to have a ticket on the “Snow Bird” flight:  For those of you unfamiliar with this phenomenon, this is the flight that carries seniors to warm locations for the winter months.  Evidently, winter starts in Michigan in October, because this flight was filled with escapees from the coming bitter cold months.

I had checked in early on the Southwest site and had gotten an “A” boarding pass, but it wasn’t an advantage.  There must have been a fleet of 10 wheelchairs or so loading the passengers. Consequently, my A-24 card meant nothing.  Boarding the flight, I searched for a space between all the canes and small, light carry-ons so I could stow my bag in the overhead compartment.  A quick scan of the open bins reassured me that, in event of a terrorist attack, I would be able to choose from any of about 50 canes in all shapes, sizes and materials to deter the evildoers.  Meanwhile, people like me are having our water bottles, embroidery scissors and metal nail files confiscated by security agents as potential weapons.

Finally ensconced next to an elderly couple with matching hearing aids and he with dark glasses to protect his fragile eyesight,  the attendant launched into the usual instructions about clicking seatbelts, water landings, oxygen masks, etc.  People were straining to hear her through their hearing aids. Of course, the hearing aids cannot reliably discern one voice amidst all ambient noises and  ranges on a plane, so the entire exercise was futile.  

The attendant fairly shouted, "Now there are two buttons above your seats.  One button has a person on it. DO NOT push this button. It is for service.  Do not push this button. The other button shows a light bulb. This button will give you a light over your seat. The button has a light bulb on it.  Push this button. DO NOT  - I repeat - DO NOT -- push the button with the person on it."

Instantly, about 30 fingers shot up and service bells chimed as people pushed the button with the person on it. 

After the service bells were punched into silence, the attendants ran up and down the aisles seeking the cell phones that were ringing tunes from the ‘40’s. (Yes, that would be the 1940s.)  Just as the attendant would reach the bag carrying the offending cell phone, the ringing would stop.  I watched one attendant jog up and down the aisle three times before the complacent Snow Bird finally realized that, yes, it was her phone that was ringing and, no, Maud, she could not talk to you now.

As the weary attendants finally got everyone settled in for the 3-hour-46-minute flight, the couple next to me offered to sell me their 5,000-sq ft home in Sun City.  They could sell it at a great price.  I looked them both in the eyes and saw the keen anticipation usually reserved for hawks spotting a fat mouse after hours of futile searching.  Okay, both were about 85 years old. Both wore hearing aids, and the man had eye problems. But the sharp minds gleamed through their new corneal transplants.  Why are these people living in 5,000 sq ft of house, let alone selling it?  Well, gee, it's because their home in Detroit is too small.    Evidently, they like to wander around their Sun City house, but it's getting too big for the jaunt.  Huh??  I felt like Alice in Geriatric Wonderland.  Heaven help the world -- and me -- when I turn 85.

P.S.  My father is 93 and still fit and sound and (sigh) driving, so my respect for “the greatest generation” has no bounds.  Rather, this blog is a glimpse of a future that even the best of road warriors may draw a lesson from.

PPS.  The attendants on Southwest Airlines have tremendous patience and spirit.  I wouldn’t want their job for anything.

Barbara Kalkis

Maestro Marketing & PR (sm)

The taxi ride from Detroit Metro Airport to the GM Renaissance Center in mid-town took less time than usual:  The sinking economy had already taken a shark-bite out of the number of working commuters.  Still, a GM billboard voiced optimism for the future.  The graphic showed a car with the simple headline:  “Chevy Volt. Coming 2010.”

It was the kind of dogged determination behind that succinct message that seemed to permeate the biennial Convergence Show (www.ctea.org) earlier this week.  Despite swirling rumors and snippets about Chrysler’s takeover woes, GM’s own shaky status, and the very survival of the US automotive industry, exhibitors forged ahead with their own vision of the future.  Suffice it to say that innovative technologies will not only power cars but will make driving a luxury  -- if the USA automakers can survive that long.

Attendees got glimpses of innovative technologies to make driving an experience rather than a simple means of transportation or a task.  Think of your car’s interior as a cabin instead of front and back seats, and you’ll get the picture.  Ambience, ease, simplicity, safety, security – these were the themes running through the demos and displays.  And they are all enabled by technology from our industry.

Although some small percentage of companies failed to occupy their booths, the semiconductor industry was well represented among the 140 or so exhibitors.  Altera,

ARM, Atmel, Austriamicrosystems, Epson Electronics, Freescale, Infineon, Maxim, Mentor Graphics, National Semi, Rohm, ST Microelectronics, Xilinx, and ZMD all had booths.   This gave attendees a glimpse at every stage of the technology, from the design software to the semiconductor devices, to the components, right to the point where the driver’s fingers met the control panel.  It was like living the saying, “where the rubber meets the road”.

While programmable vehicle interior lighting was demonstrated in a number of booths, the brightest light came from the Convergence Education Foundation’s (www.cef-trek.org) Innovative Vehicle Design contest for high-schoolers.  Ten schools competed in the Innovative Vehicle Design competition sponsored by the CTEA.  The veteran teams (Huron ISD, Pontiac Northern, University High School, and William D. Ford Car-Tech) built cars from the ground up with parts donated by sponsor companies.  Rookie teams (Belleville, Dearborn-Berry, Glenbrook South, Mecosta-Osceola, Regina, and Southfield) chose to get kit cars and incorporate innovative technologies.  The teams tackled real-life problems, like teens dying because they don’t wear seatbelts, and used their engineering skills to provide solutions that real automakers can incorporate.

I asked one team what they would get if they won first prize.  Scholarships?  Money?  Internships?  The group looked at me as if I had just stepped out of a spaceship from Jupiter.  “Huh??” the team captain said.  “No.  We’ll get a TROPHY!!”  He pointed to the display of huge golden awards by the show entrance. 

A trophy.  Think of it.  These students had dedicated their spare time to a project that would gain a trophy.  Not money. Not fame.  Not a slot at the university of their choice. But an award that was its own reward.  When was the last time you heard of someone doing something for the reward of a job well done?

As I spoke to the teams, their enthusiasm, knowledge and poise burned more brightly than any electric light in Cobo Hall.  If these kids are the future of the automotive engineering industry in the USA, there’s hope for us yet.

Barbara Kalkis

Maestro Marketing & PR (sm)

Repeating the successful Editors’ Day of the past two years, Bill Barron, VP and Publishing Director of the Hearst Electronics Group, once again trekked his editorial team from their Uniondale, NY, offices to the Silicon Valley suburb of Foster City. The purpose was to present an overview of new services and features of the flagship magazine, Electronic Products (www.electronicproducts.com) and to present the editorial/publicity opportunities for the 2009 calendar year.  But this event delivers much more than an editorial kit.

For starters, the attendees represent the heavy-hitters and star marketing companies across the semiconductor industry spectrum.  These are players who think and act strategically to build their company’s brand and market position, and who can boast of successful communications programs.  In short, they’re the companies that capture our collective attention. The ones you see in advertising, exhibiting at trade shows, and having a seeming omni-presence at events – like this one.

The noise level at the beginning of the event is not just about greeting old friends, colleagues and competitors, it’s also about the business/networking potential and making the mental checklist of who is there and who is not – and what the ‘not’ means.

The Hearst Electronics team is a veritable A-list of industry journalists.  From editor-in-chief Murray Slovick to a senior editorial staff consisting of Richard Comerford, Brian DeLuca, Jim Harrison, Christina Nickolas, Paul O’Shea, Ralph Raiola, and Marty Gold representing Hearst’s Semi-Apps (www.semiapps.com) site, this is a group known across the industry.  Adding the commentaries on EEM,  IC Master and iSuppli,  the group touched on every aspect of publishing and publicity matters a marketer could wish for.

In terms of expertise, there are many other industry journalists with the credentials, savvy, insight and sharp talent of this group.  The difference is that Bill Barron – and Hearst – have built a goodwill relationship between the journalists and public relations professionals that fosters the kinds of collaboration other companies want but struggle to develop. 

Yesterday’s event was an intense 3.5-hour nonstop string of presentations covering every aspect of Electronic Products and its sister publications.  Each journalist discussed trends in their areas of coverage and outlined opportunities for 2009 editorial coverage.  The array of opportunities ranges from new-product coverage and contributed articles to blogs, discussions, commentaries, and – my personal favorite – 3-minute video contributions.

With an eye on the international scene, Quingchun (Chuck) Guo of Electronic Products’ 21IC (www.21IC.com) group based in Beijing, gave the audience a look at China’s young engineering professionals.  With an average age of 30, versus an average age of 46 in the USA, Chuck noted that Chinese engineers took their information from the web as easily from print.

I like this event for many personal and professional reasons. The personal reasons are about the people I get to see at this important event.  With a 30-year history in the industry, I view many of the attendees and journalists as  friends.  They’re creative, energetic, and smart.  They make excellent conversation and great company.

The professional reasons stretch from the basic to the abstract.  The Editors’ Day helps me produce better plans for my clients and reminds me of opportunities that may start fresh at the beginning of the year but get buried under a mound of tactical activities as the year wears on.  It’s good to give things a fresh look when laying the foundation for the next year’s marketing strategy and activities.

At an abstract level, this event offers a look at the culture and personality of the publication.  We all want to do business with people we like and respect.  This event is a reminder of the professionalism and talent of the journalists and executives on the Hearst Electronics team.  Again, there is rich talent elsewhere, but under the pressure of day-to-day tactics the big picture can be easily submerged.

Perhaps most important is the reminder that our industry journalists are experts that give us a broader look at our business.  Their knowledge, credibility, dedication and insight are tangible advantages over the anonymous web editor posting every news release issued for the day.  Each presentation showed that professional journalists are thinking about their sectors, looking for trends and shaping opportunities that will give engineers and other readers value, as well as valuable information.  There’s a thought process behind the professional industry journalist that cannot be gotten through posting of news without interpretation.

I’d like to see all the industry publishers copy this event.   Our industry is blessed with the one of the most talented groups of journalists I know of.  Talent displayed is talent remembered by the audience.

In the meantime, I recommend that you take a look at the site next week to view this week’s presentations.  You’ll get a look at trends and opportunities that you may not have considered for your company.  Go to www.HearstAdvantage.com for a good read.  Or if you don’t want to wait for the posting, contact Lisa DeVine, Hearst Electronics Group Marketing Manager, at ldevine@hearst.com and say I told you to get in touch with her.

Barbara Kalkis

Maestro Marketing & PR (sm)