California EMS Leadership Roundtable
Connected or Complicated? Digital, Automation, and the Future of Supply Chain Resilience
Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
Maggiano’s Little Italy – Santana Row
3055 Olin Ave., Suite 1000
San Jose, CA 95128

Hosted by the Global Electronics Association in partnership with DigiKey

Complimentary Registration | Reception and Dinner Included

Common Challenges. Candid Conversations. Practical Ideas.

Join EMS executives and senior leaders from across California and beyond for candid peer discussion, relevant industry insight, and practical ideas.

This year’s conversation will center on a fundamental question: Are digital tools and automation making the electronics supply chain more connected and resilient—or simply more complicated? We will explore where stronger connections among customers, EMS companies, distributors, and suppliers can create meaningful value, and where additional technologies, systems, and automation may introduce more complexity than benefit. At the center of the discussion will be enabling the next generation of digital business by connecting customers more effectively with their manufacturing, distribution, and supply partners.

The informal reception and dinner will give participants an opportunity to build relationships, compare perspectives, and candidly discuss the issues they are confronting across their businesses. Global Electronics Association membership is not required, and companies are welcome to register more than one senior leader.

We will begin by sharing unique EMS industry demographics, financial data, and market information relevant to EMS leaders. Leaders from DigiKey will also contribute perspectives on emerging supply chain challenges and our broader conversation theme, sharing what they are seeing across customers, suppliers, distribution partners, and the broader electronics ecosystem as digital capabilities, automation, and supply-chain models continue to evolve.

As always, the announced theme is only the starting point. Previous roundtables have expanded into workforce strategy, customer acquisition, growth, tariffs, margins, technology investment, benchmarking, equipment, supply chain, and overall business conditions. Participants determine where the conversation goes—which is why no two roundtables end the same.

The clearest indication of the value participants find in these sessions is repeat participation: many companies return, and several bring multiple members of their leadership teams. Because the roundtable works best as a small, highly interactive group, attendance will be limited.

Any questions? Contact Mark Wolfe

Join the competition

Join the 2026 Hand Soldering Competition – Regional Qualification Estonia for students and professionals, being held 14–16 October 2026 at TalTech University (Main Lobby) in Tallinn, Estonia.

Competitors will demonstrate their soldering skills on a complex printed circuit board assembly within 60 minutes — for prizes, recognition, and the chance to secure a spot at the Hand Soldering World Championship. The student competition will take place on 14 October, followed by the professional competition on 15–16 October.

Student Competition

14 October 2026

Students will compete in a dedicated category designed to showcase the next generation of soldering talent.

• Competition format: soldering a PCB assembly under IPC criteria, judged by IPC certified instructors (MITs).
• Open to all students from Estonian universities, colleges, and technical schools.
• Tools and materials provided.
• The best student will receive a cash prize.

Register for the Student Competition →

Professional Competition

15–16 October 2026

Professional competitors must solder a complex PCB assembly under IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria, supervised and judged by IPC certified instructors (MITs). Evaluation criteria:

• Quality of the assembly process
• Overall quality of the soldered assembly
• Electrical functionality
• Overall time recorded

Competition Resources

Download the Bill of Materials and review the rules and judging criteria:

• DOWNLOAD BOM
• DOWNLOAD RULES

Cash Prizes

The winners will receive cash prizes:

• First place €300
• Second place €200
• Third place €100

The 2026 Estonia Champion (professional) will be invited - with expenses covered by the Global Electronics Association - to compete in the HSC World Final at electronica in Munich, Germany, in November 2026.

Best Company Team Award

Companies can enter two or three competitors for the Hand Soldering Best Company Team Award. The combined top scores from entrants within each company will determine the winning team.

Register for the Professional Competition →

Registration Details

• There is no charge to register for the Hand Soldering Competition.
• No membership or certification is required for participation.
• All assembly tools and materials will be provided.
• Complete the correct registration form to reserve your spot.
• A confirmation email will be sent to you at a later stage to specify your time slot to compete.

Questions?

Contact Anatolii Kazmin: anatoliikazmin@electronics.org

Venue Information

TalTech University (Main Lobby) - Thomas Johann Seebeck Department of Electronics, School of Information Technologies, Ehitajate tee 5, Tallinn, 19086, Estonia

Showcase your cable and wire harness skills

The 2026 Cable & Wire Harness Competition - Regional Qualification Estonia will take place on 15-16 October 2026 at TalTech University (Main Lobby) in Tallinn, Estonia.

The competition invites skilled technicians and harness assembly specialists to demonstrate their expertise in wire preparation, crimping, splicing, and assembly - all under the requirements of IPC/WHMA-A-620, the industry standard for cable and wire harness assemblies.

Participants will compete under timed conditions for 60 minutes using identical materials and tools, with results evaluated by certified IPC judges.

Competition for Professionals

15–16 October 2026

Each competitor must produce a fully functional wire harness assembly within the time limit, in accordance with the provided drawings and standards.

Judging criteria

• Crimp accuracy and quality of terminations
• Correct routing, labeling, and bundling
• Compliance with IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship standards
• Overall appearance and functionality
• Speed of completion

All tools and materials will be supplied. Participants should wear ESD-safe clothing or a company-branded coat, if available.

Competition Resources

Download the Bill of Materials and review the rules and judging criteria:

• DOWNLOAD BOM
• DOWNLOAD RULES

Prizes for Professionals

The winners will receive cash prizes:

• First place €300
• Second place €200
• Third place €100

The 2026 Estonia Champion will be invited - with expenses covered by the Global Electronics Association - to compete in the CWH World Final at electronica in Munich, Germany, in November 2026.

Registration Details

• There is no cost to participate.
• No Global Electronics Association membership is required.
• Registration is open to professionals who work with cable and wire assemblies.
• Complete the registration form to reserve your competition slot.
• A confirmation email will be sent to you at a later stage to specify your time slot to compete.

Register for the Professional Competition →

Questions?

Contact Anatolii Kazmin: anatoliikazmin@electronics.org

Venue Information

TalTech University (Main Lobby) - Thomas Johann Seebeck Department of Electronics, School of Information Technologies, Ehitajate tee 5, Tallinn, 19086, Estonia

Region: Europe

To deepen industry engagement and expand global impact, the TPCA Show will collaborate with members of the Global Electronics Association to promote sponsorship participation and technical outreach activities, including the organization of a Hand Soldering Competition.
Conducted in alignment with IPC international standards, the competition will evaluate participants’ practical skills in soldering quality, process control, and workmanship compliance. Beyond showcasing technical excellence in electronics manufacturing, the event also reinforces industry awareness of quality and standardization while supporting workforce development and skills transfer.

In parallel, the IMPACT Exhibition will focus on advanced packaging technologies, featuring dedicated symposium sessions jointly organized by the Taiwan Standards Committee and the Taiwan Technical Standards Committee.
These sessions will highlight liquid cooling technologies for semiconductor and electronic packaging, covering industry trends, critical materials, reliability validation, and system integration.

Through cross-disciplinary collaboration between standards bodies and industry experts, the initiative aims to build internationally aligned technical consensus and strengthen Taiwan’s competitive position in high-performance computing and next-generation electronic packaging.
 

Upper Midwest (Minnesota) EMS Leadership Roundtable
Connected or Complicated? Digital, Automation, and the Future of Supply Chain Resilience
Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 4:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
CRAVE Food & Drink (Wine Room)
8251 Flying Cloud Dr., Suite 3010
Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Hosted by the Global Electronics Association in partnership with DigiKey

Complimentary Registration | Reception and Dinner Included

Common Challenges. Candid Conversations. Practical Ideas.

Join EMS executives and senior leaders from across the Upper Midwest and beyond for candid peer discussion, relevant industry insight, and practical ideas.

This year’s conversation will center on a fundamental question: Are digital tools and automation making the electronics supply chain more connected and resilient—or simply more complicated? We will explore where stronger connections among customers, EMS companies, distributors, and suppliers can create meaningful value, and where additional technologies, systems, and automation may introduce more complexity than benefit. At the center of the discussion will be enabling the next generation of digital business by connecting customers more effectively with their manufacturing, distribution, and supply partners.

The informal reception and dinner will give participants an opportunity to build relationships, compare perspectives, and candidly discuss the issues they are confronting across their businesses. Global Electronics Association membership is not required, and companies are welcome to register more than one senior leader.

We will begin by sharing unique EMS industry demographics, financial data, and market information relevant to EMS leaders. Leaders from DigiKey will also contribute perspectives on emerging supply chain challenges and our broader conversation theme, sharing what they are seeing across customers, suppliers, distribution partners, and the broader electronics ecosystem as digital capabilities, automation, and supply-chain models continue to evolve.

As always, the announced theme is only the starting point. Previous roundtables have expanded into workforce strategy, customer acquisition, growth, tariffs, margins, technology investment, benchmarking, equipment, supply chain, and overall business conditions. Participants determine where the conversation goes—which is why no two roundtables end the same.

The clearest indication of the value participants find in these sessions is repeat participation: many companies return, and several bring multiple members of their leadership teams. Because the roundtable works best as a small, highly interactive group, attendance will be limited.

Any questions? Contact Mark Wolfe

An exclusive annual event in Korea, aims to promote Korean electronics industry development and global cooperation. The day is full of six seminar topics and the Association’s Korea local activities. The event attracts more than 150 engineers from the industry every year. 

NEPCON will be held in a region with a high concentration of automotive industry activity. The Global Electronics Association will co‑exhibit with JapanUnix and promote IPC standards. We are also considering a presentation by a Key Opinion Leader from a global supplier with established relations with the Global Electronics Association.

WHMA's Annual Global Leadership Summit

The wire harness industry is constantly evolving with new technology and practices. The 2027 WHMA Annual Global Leadership Summit offers the tools you need to help your business succeed in this fast-changing landscape. WHMA's Annual Global Leadership Summit (formerly the WHMA Annual Conference) is a networking event for executives representing wire harness manufacturers, OEMs and suppliers for companies that build wiring harnesses and cable assemblies.

• Peer-to-peer networking provides countless opportunities for you to improve your business as you learn, share, and discover new approaches to the wire harness industry.
• Learn from industry leaders at best-practices roundtables, technical education workshops, and keynote speakers.
• Get the first look at cutting-edge technology in the Exhibit Hall featuring industry leading suppliers.

Invest in your business and your future at WHMA's Annual Global Leadership Summit!