On April 27, I attended the first-ever UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA) Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition at ArenaMK in Milton Keynes, England, and found myself pleasantly surprised. One never knows how these first-time events will turn out, but from my perspective it was a great success. My first clue should have been in how well organized the planners were when communicating with exhibitors and speakers well in advance of the show. The group’s detailed instructions left me feeling confident that these people knew what they were doing.
And it turns out they did. The conference seemed to offer something for everyone in the machine vision and imaging industry. The exhibit hall featured about 50 technical vision seminars and 30 live demonstration stands, all highlighting the latest developments, technologies, and applications within the machine vision and imaging industry. The main themes of the day were 3-D vision, camera technology, software, embedded vision, optics, illumination and lasers, systems and solutions, as well as the basics of vision systems.
Seven theaters, each with eight presenters throughout the day, meant that conference-goers had plenty of topics to choose from—everything from solving imaging bandwidth and cost demands to the “open camera” concept. I took the podium to give an overview of Advances in Machine Vision Illumination and was happy to see only a few vacant seats. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I was among the first to speak that day, when the audience was still fresh and attentive.
An event like this only attracts the people who are in the market and have an interest in knowing more about what’s new, so I had many good discussions that generated leads for new business opportunities. With 500-plus registered guests, the event started slowly but picked up fast. I look forward to returning next year, this time knowing full well what I’m getting myself into.
Tony Carpenter
Smart Vision Lights
Business Development Manager
Europe & Asia