Association, the Electronic Representatives Association and the Global Electronics Distributor Association. To get to where we are today meant that the show and organizations had to evolve. The ‘60s saw the beginning of two related new phenomena: the beginning of parts manufacturers selling components to the OEM through distribution, and the parallel move to distribution networks of one hundred or fewer locations. By the early ‘70s, the “industrials” were using the show to meet with their established re-sellers, felt no need to display product, and rebelled against being forced to maintain a superfluous floor presence. By 1973, the board changed the rules to permit suiteonly participation, reflecting a new set of industry needs and the beginning of the upstairs-downstairs format that still prevails. One of the strong points of EDS is its under-one-roof event format. From the 1970s to the 1990s, EDS made an effort to rotate the location
of the show to be more convenient to distributors across the country. However, the “under-oneroof” concept was not truly achieved until 1994 when EDS established Las Vegas as its permanent residence.
Ken Prince is one of key original architects of EDS followed by Gerry Newman.
The advent of new trade show facilities in hotels – the Mandalay Bay, the Venetian, the Mirage, and the Paris/Bally’s complex – gave EDS its first real option for relocation.
environment where all of the action happens on the convention floor. It is a combination of scheduled, one-on-one meetings, educational programs and networking opportunities to maximize success. EDS continues to be committed to their mission of idea exchange through high-level strategic meetings, event functions and informal gatherings to rekindle business relationships and build new ones. John Krehbiel Jr. President of Molex made a keynote speech in the mid 80’s at the EDS event in Vegas. The theme was distributors will be needed overseas as component manufacturers continue to expand globally. He suggested they go global too. It is very obvious a few listened.
With a new, consistent location, the format of EDS began growing and evolving into the EDS Summit we know today. EDS is not your typical tradeshow Streakers were the “in thing” in the 70’s. EDS 1974 highlight or lowlight.
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ELECTRONIC COMPONENT INDUSTRY EVOLUTION