Microwaves For The World: Baltimore, IMS2011, And Microwave Week

By Jeffrey M. Pond, 2011 IEEE MTT-S IMS General Chair

The 2011 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS2011) will be held at Baltimore's beautiful Inner Harbor this year, with the venue being the Convention Center and nearby hotels. Our theme for IMS2011 is Microwaves for the World, with our emphasis on bringing together world experts who will be showcasing how our science, technology, and profession have globally benefited mankind. This theme emphasizes a number of points about our profession and its industry: it is becoming more global than ever, the IMS needs active participation from all microwave professionals, and, as with all professions, we need to be socially and ecologically responsible.

As general chair, it is particularly encouraging to be able to relate to you that, compared to the last couple of years when the economy affected the symposium, things are recovering. The number of exhibitors has increased and the number of technical program registrants is up. These are all signs that IMS in Baltimore in 2011 is going to be a great success. Please join us in Baltimore for the best IMS ever.

Our slogan this year is "IMS2011 in Baltimore: A Perfect Match" and is represented symbolically in our logo. Baltimore's Inner Harbor is an ideal venue for the IMS, with great hotels and the convention center all centrally located near dining, shops, and places of interest. No matter your point of origin, when you arrive in Baltimore we want you to feel welcome. We want to encourage you to interact with colleagues from around the world. Greet old friends and make new ones that you can greet as old friends next year in Montreal. Take every opportunity to engage your fellow professionals. While attending technical sessions will be enlightening, it is the more personal interactions with your fellow attendees that will be truly inspiring.

Baltimore previously hosted the IMS in 1986 and 1998. The Inner Harbor area revitalization has continued and is even nicer than in 1998. The Convention Center is centrally located just two blocks from the Inner Harbor. Everything is within quick and easy pedestrian access.

In addition to Microwave Week's technical programs and exhibition, the main IMS2011 events will be Monday evening's Plenary Session and Welcome Reception, Wednesday evening's Awards Banquet, Thursday afternoon Closing Ceremony, and Thursday evening's Crab Feast. The Crab Feast is a unique feature of IMS when it comes to Baltimore and should not be missed; however, space is limited, so buy your tickets early.

Technical Programs
This year, Microwave Week will take place from June 5 through June 10. In addition to IMS2011 (ims2011.mtt.org), we encourage you to participate in the Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit Symposium (www.rfic2011.org) and the 77th Automatic Radio-Frequency Techniques Group Conference (www.arftg.org).

In 2011, we are honored to have Professor J. David Rhodes deliver this year's Monday evening plenary address, Migration of 4G LTE into Existing Cellular Networks, at 5:40 pm on June 6, in the fourth-floor Ballroom of the Baltimore Convention Center. A new event in 2011 is a closing ceremony, which will mark the official end to the IMS technical program — Dr. Joseph Guerci will deliver the keynote address, Cognitive Radar.

Dr. Ramesh Gupta, technical program chair, and his Technical Program Committee have assembled an outstanding international program. Microwave Week's combined technical program consists of over 1,000 technical presentations. There are many focus and special sessions that highlight both the diversity and global reach of our profession. We have something for everyone, from emerging areas like RF nanotechnologies to applied, life-saving applications such as high-field-strength MRI. On Sunday, Monday, and Friday, there are 33 workshops and six short courses designed to educate and enlighten you in new areas of your profession. Also, noontime panel sessions and an evening rump session are available. The future of our profession will also be prominently featured with all of our student activities. In particular, the Student Paper Competition, the Student Design Competitions, and the new Graduate Student Challenge will intrigue you.

Exhibition
The world's largest microwave industry exhibition is collocated with IMS2011. As I write this, we are nearing 900 booths from nearly 600 exhibitors. Microwave Week is where you can quickly and easily connect with all the leading vendors of hardware, software, and services within the microwave industry. In addition, we have a fascinating historical exhibit, which showcases both the evolution of our technology and its revolutionary impact on the world. The National Electronics Museum (www.nationalelectronicsmuseum.org), home of the historical exhibit, is located near BWI airport, and it is worth a trip to see the entire collection.

MicroApps continues to expand and improve with 56 different presentations on readily available state-of-the-art instrumentation, software, and services. In 2011, we have introduced a new MicroApps feature, a panel session, on nonlinear measurements at noon on Wednesday. Please stop by the MicroApps Theater, prominently located on the exhibit floor, to learn from the experts.

Exhibition hours are Tuesday, June 7, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Wednesday, June 8, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM; and Thursday, June 9, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Wednesday, there will be the Industry Hosted Cocktail Reception on the exhibit floor starting at 5:15 pm.

Visiting Baltimore
Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) is the most convenient airport for accessing Baltimore. In the spirit of our interest in being ecologically sound, we would suggest the Light Rail line, which for less than $2 will take you from BWI to the Convention Center and Hilton in about 20 minutes. Official IMS2011 hotels are all within a short walk.

Baltimore in early June has a pleasant climate and is a wonderful place to bring family and friends. We have an innovative guest program featuring self-guided tours with packages of discount tickets, in addition to a few formal tours. These formal tours are on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and feature Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Annapolis, respectively.

Just a few of the many Inner Harbor attractions that you might find of interest are the National Aquarium, Port Discovery (a hands-on children's museum), the Maryland Science Center, Johns Hopkins University, and Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball games, which are scheduled every day of Microwave Week except Thursday.

If you want to visit attractions that are more than a short walk away, try the free Charm City Circulator, a fleet of hybrid electric buses. Alternatively, the Water Taxi ($10 per day) is a great way to see some of the attractions.

With Baltimore being centrally located on the east coast, you don't have to go far to find the culturally and historically rich cities of Washington, DC; Annapolis, MD; and Philadelphia, PA. Nearby are the beautiful sand beaches of the Mid-Atlantic oceanfront, the vistas and hiking trails of the Appalachian Mountains, the Chesapeake Bay for sailing, world-class golf courses, miles of equestrian trails, and many quaint villages with antique shops and bed-and-breakfast inns.

Our logo truly illustrates our slogan, "IMS2011 in Baltimore: A Perfect Match". So grab your camera, and with your family and friends, join us at IMS2011 in Baltimore beginning June 5 to reinvigorate your career, your mind, and your life. Heck, you might even bring your bosses, as they would probably enjoy focusing on engineering again.

As it is impossible to cover everything of interest in such a short article, please visit the IMS2011 website (ims2011.mtt.org) to obtain further information and details that will help you enjoy your visit. Also, we have smart phone apps available for both iPhone/iPad and Android systems. On behalf of the IMS2011 Steering Committee, see you soon in Baltimore!