SMA Industry Sessions at APEC are most impactful when they deliver practical, real-world insights to an audience eager for application-driven content. This guide outlines proven tactics for building successful sessions that educate, engage, and grow both your audience and committee membership.

Attracting a Larger Audience

To attract a larger audience, keep sessions application-oriented.

The best approach is to invite power electronics customers (leading companies who buy or use power electronics) to speak as they know the application.

When you feature industry leaders, their competitors and potential suppliers will want to attend as well. Audience members will often contribute insightful questions and challenges.

This distinction can be tricky, as people often confuse technologies with applications. For example: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology, but not an application. People cannot buy AI specifically, but they can buy systems which use AI such as robots, gaming consoles or EVs. These systems or applications may even use the exact same Nvidia chip to implement AI, but the thermal, shock, EMI, testing, reliability, etc. requirements are different. Consequently, the attraction of speakers from Boston Dynamics (a key robotics leader), Sony Playstation, or Tesla is very different than a speaker from Nvidia, or Infineon, or Wurth; even though, all these companies are leaders in their own areas.

Support customer speakers in identifying non-proprietary topics, such as future power trends, design best practices, key tips, or common mistakes, etc.

Addressing Travel Constraints

If speaker travel is an issue, choose a local speaker, a speaker who normally attends APEC, or a speaker from an exhibiting company (who may also do booth duty). This is especially important for those customers who do not usually attend APEC (hopefully once they do attend APEC, they will consider attending APEC again). For example, utility companies traditionally have tight finances, and most do not attend APEC so finding a speaker from a utility company local to the APEC location will help.

Backup Speakers

Use a speaker from power electronics suppliers or committee members as backup when you cannot get power electronics customers to speak. If your committee invites seven speakers, but only gets a session with four speaking slots, the three "extra" speakers can backup the confirmed four. Consider offering the extra speakers to other industry sessions. If a speaker becomes available after all slots are filled—or was prepared but didn't present—consider inviting them to present at a Power Technology Roadmap (PTR) webinar or a committee-hosted educational webinar instead of waiting for the next APEC.

Committee Growth and Engagement

To grow the committee, invite industry session speakers or potential speakers to join.

Send a PSMA calendar invitation to previous speakers for the onsite APEC committee meeting or the next committee meeting. Encourage their involvement in planning the next APEC session.

During the industry session, clearly mention which committee organized it and invite attendees to join.

Early Speaker Recruitment

To get an early start, recruit speakers during the APEC exhibition. Visit booths and ask for speaker recommendations or contacts.

Additionally, ask your audience to suggest speakers and topics for the next APEC.

Consider recruiting speakers from a different conference which has the added benefit of evaluating their speaking skills ahead of time.

Avoiding Speaker Cancellations

To avoid last-minute cancellations, the Industry Session Chairs on the APEC organizing committee will proactively communicate the importance of speaker (and chair) responsibilities and commitments.

However, as the deadline for presentation submissions draws closer, speakers may want to drop out. Here's a sample email message to remind them of their responsibilities:

Subject: Reconsider Your Commitment to Speak at APEC

Dear [Speaker Name],

We are strongly encouraging you to reconsider dropping out of APEC as a rash decision may have larger consequences than intended. As a reminder, speaker no-shows can impact both individual and organizational participation in future APEC and IEEE events. A no-show after a commitment is treated as a possible systemic risk (i.e. your organization may not support its speaker commitments). You personally may be banned from all IEEE conference for a period of time. Please reach out if any conflicts have arisen—we're happy to work with you to find a solution.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Managing Last-Minute Dropouts

Sometimes there is no way to avoid a last-minute empty slot. If a speaker cancels at the last minute, consider converting the speaking slot into a panel discussion with the remaining speakers. Session chairs or committee members can moderate. Share initial questions with the panelists beforehand to help them prepare, and encourage audience participation.

Speaker Order Strategy

If the session has a logical topic flow, let that guide speaker order. Otherwise, place the strongest speaker (or topic) at the end to keep the audience engaged.

Use the second strongest speaker to open the session and capture attention. Place the third and fourth strongest after and before the break respectively, if applicable.

Alternatively consider placing speakers who may need extra time either before the break or at the end of the session.
If adjusting the speaker order when the schedules is already published, take the opportunity to resolve any topical conflicts with the other industry & technical sessions running in parallel.

Chairing the Industry Session

At the speaker breakfast (or earlier) find out if any speakers cannot stay for the entire session. Announce if a speaker is only available for the break or immediately after his/her talk if he/she needs to leave early. If a speaker needs to leave right after his/her presentation, be sure to retrieve the wireless (or lapel) microphone immediately before the next speaker; otherwise, the speaker may end up talking over the next speaker's presentation!

Arrive early to the session to check the audio/visual (A/V) system (microphones on stage and in the audience, pointers, timers, etc.) especially if the session is scheduled on Tuesday morning (the first day of presentations). Have speakers ensure the correct version of their presentations are loaded. Know where to find the closest A/V support.

If the session is full (standing room only), encourage the audience to move towards the center seats so that those people who were standing can sit down.

For the Q& A parts, encourage the audience to state their name and affiliation before stating their question. This will discourage competitors from asking nasty questions or making snide comments.

-----

With special thanks to all the committees which not only put together these industry sessions for APEC, but also contributed to this article.

Do you have any other advice to offer? Consider sharing them so all of PSMA can benefit.

Ada Cheng
Jaume Roig Guitart
Renee Yawger

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.