Conference Registration Opens for PCB East 2026

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – PCEA has opened registration for the technical program for PCB East 2026, featuring more than 80 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training on circuit board design and assembly.

Rick Hartley, Susy Webb, Stephen Chavez, Karen Burnham and Tomas Chester are among the headliners of this year’s conference. It will be held Apr. 28 to May 1 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. It features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert. 

The scope of classes ranges from the basics of design engineering, libraries and circuit grounding to more advanced fare such as power distribution, EMC, stackups, thermal management and DDR memory routing. 

More than two-thirds of the presentations are new to the conference, including ones on DfM for ultra high-density interconnects (UHDI), designing in 3-D, advanced dielectrics for thermal PCBs, AI and time budgets for new projects.

New this year are two days of assembly tracks, offering in-depth circuit assembly basics and advanced assembly, including an all-day hand soldering workshop, plus a full day of supply chain and business management sessions.

The all-day Executive Management Forum on Apr. 28 will cover executive strategies for AI adoption, meeting workforce challenges and new PCB process selection for advanced electronics packaging.

“PCB East is the largest technical conference and exhibition for the electronics design, fabrication and assembly industry on the East Coast,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB East. “This year’s event offers an array of experts in printed circuit design engineering and manufacturing, and a new emphasis on assembly.”

 Registration for both the technical conference and the exhibition takes place at pcbeast.com. Those who sign up by Mar. 27 can take advantage of the early bird special discounts for the conference.

PCEA Names Andy Shaughnessy Content Architect

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – PCEA in January named Andy Shaughnessy its first content architect. Shaughnessy, a veteran industry journalist and media personality, will be responsible for creating and overseeing PCEA’s technical publications and media communications, including podcasts and video.

Shaughnessy has been a writer, editor and journalist for 30 years. He has been covering PCB design and the EDA market since 1999, serving as associate editor and editor-in-chief of PCD&F Magazine from 1999-2007, prior to its acquisition by PCEA. 

From 2007-2025, he was editor of I-Connect007’s Design007 Magazine and the Design Newsletter, as well as an on-camera interviewer for the Real Time video program. 

“Once we realized Andy was available, a reunion was obvious,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA. “Our vice president of sales and marketing, Frances Stewart, and I worked with Andy years ago and have always been impressed with his passion, knowledge, and ability to connect with people of all backgrounds and responsibilities. We are thrilled to have him as a colleague again.”

“I’m excited to be back working with Mike and Frances,” Shaughnessy said. “Although some of the team is different, I know everyone in the company. How often do you get to start a new job at a company where you’ve known everyone for decades?”

Spring PCB Design Training Classes Scheduled

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – Registration is open for the PCEA Training Certified Professional Circuit Designer (CPCD) training and certification classes this spring.

Class dates are May 15, 22, 29, Jun. 5 and 12. Registration closes Apr. 16.

The 40-hour instructor-led course is designed for printed circuit engineers, layout professionals and other individuals currently serving in the design engineering industry or seeking to get into it.

The classes cover the gamut of printed circuit design engineering, from layout, place and route to specifications and materials to manufacturing methods. Schematic capture, signal integrity and EMI/EMC are also part of the comprehensive program.

Each class includes a copy of Printed Circuit Engineering Professional, a 400-page handbook on circuit board design, and the optional certification exam recognized by PCEA.

There are no prerequisites to enroll. Classes are held online and led by experienced instructors.

To enroll, visit pceatraining.net/registration.

PCB East Show Floor 95% Sold Out

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – The exhibition hall floor space for PCB East 2026 is more than 95% sold out.

The annual one-day exhibition will be held April 29, 2026, at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. The exhibition is part of the PCB East conference, which takes place April 28 – May 1.

“We have seen tremendous interest this year, owing in part to our past history of turnout coupled with the move to the DCU Center, which is a high-end facility and offers big-city advantages at a more affordable cost to attendees,” said Frances Stewart, vice president of sales and marketing at PCEA.

“Several major semiconductor companies such as AMD, Lattice Semiconductor, Microchip and Samtec are joining our traditional group of leading software developers and manufacturers as we build on our industry-leading events for electronics design and manufacturing,” she added.

Companies interested in exhibiting should contact Frances Stewart at frances@pcea.net for details.

For more information about PCB East, visit pcbeast.com