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17 Jun 2002
Photonics West is one of largest photonics events in the world. Its conference and exhibition attract visitors from all corners of the globe. Rebecca Pool talks to event manager Scott Walker about this year's highlights.
From Opto & Laser Europe January 2002
Primarily launched as a US show for firms in the US, Photonics West has seen a lot of changes since its inception nine years ago.
This month some 15 000 industry players from 58 countries will meet at the Convention Center in San Jose, US, making this year's conference and exhibition one of the biggest and most international photonics shows in the world. Delegates can attend the technical conferences, sample the special events, take part in at least one of the 100 short courses and network at the 600-strong exhibition. Didn't anyone tell them about the worldwide economic slump?
Scott Walker, event manager of Photonics West at SPIE in the US, admits that he expects the total attendee figures to be down by about 1000 this year, but adds that he has a reserve list of 50 companies eager, but a little too late, to exhibit.
"Last year, at the peak of the telecoms excitement, the word photonics would bring people
out in droves," he said. "The [current] economic situation has made a lot of firms pull back on the number
of shows they go to, but there are certain shows you want to be at and Photonics West is one of
them." Each
session focuses on between four and seven conference themes from core areas such as displays,
semiconductor lasers and optical communications to more obscure topics, such as optical security and
anticounterfeiting technologies. Walker says that the conference technologies that have experienced
the greatest growth are biomedical applications, optoelectronic components for telecoms and
semiconductor processing. He is eager to emphasize however that Photonics West covers "the whole
range" of commercial technologies and applications. "One of our hallmarks is that we don't focus on a
specific application," he added. The range of exhibitors that are attending Photonics West is a
testament to this. Lesser-known players such as German laser-diode maker Unique Mode, multispectral
imaging firm Optical Insights and MEMS manufacturer Coventor, both of the US, will be sharing the floor
with industry giants including US-based Eastman Kodak, Sony of Japan and UK-based BAE
Systems. A weekend exhibition exclusively for biomedical optics includes optical engineering firm
Breault Research Organization, laser manufacturer Melles Griot and Micro Laser Systems, all of the
US. Plenary session highlights include NASA astronaut Stephen Robinson who will detail imaging
technologies used in NASA's Space Shuttle system, and US firm Nortel Networks' vice-president of
business development of optical components Parviz Tayebati, who will brief delegates on the status of
optical components in today's telecoms industry. According to Walker, the US president's chief science
adviser John Marburger and the director of the film Titanic, James Cameron, are also giving
presentations. Some 100 courses are taking place over the week, covering 17 diverse optics sectors,
including laser engineering and processing, optical networking, tissue diagnostics and therapeutics, and
Internet multimedia. Intellectual property issues in high-tech business and selecting lasers to suit
applications will be discussed in workshops. Other key events include a photonics manufacturing
automation forum and a meeting of the SPIE's Women in Optics division. However, recruitment seems to be the only blot on an otherwise exciting landscape for the
Photonics West delegates. Walker believes that the show will be even more international than before, with
a spread of delegates from the US, Europe and Asia. "The show brings together people from all
backgrounds - business, technology, buyer and seller. That's what makes it fun."
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