Don’t they know there is a worldwide recession? The organisers of SPS/IPC/Drives have announced that this year the event attracted 48,595 visitors. This represents a 1% increase on the previous year, and the largest visitor numbers on record for the show.

It is hugely impressive that SPS/IPC/Drives was able to deliver record visitor numbers in the current climate. It follows on from some disappointing attendance at shows such as ESC UK and productronica, and I’m delighted that SPS managed to buck the trend. Hopefully this is not only a result of a great show, but also a sign of the electronics industry beginning to show tangible signs of recovery.