Welcome To APEC 2005

APEC continues its growth with another record breaking digest submission. This year also marks the 20th birthday of APEC. The newly opened Hilton Hotel in downtown Austin, Texas provides excellent venues to bring together friends from all over the world. Austin is known not only for being the capital of Texas, but also the home of more than 1000 high tech companies including many well-known names familiar to most participants. Austin also offers top quality museums, galleries, professional ballet, symphony, opera, theaters, and live music. The APEC Conference Committee is excited about its debut in Austin.

APEC has been broadly regarded as the leading conference for practicing power electronics professionals not only through its excellent technical program, but also through all the enticing activities. This year is no exception. The Plenary Session has topnotch invited speakers to talk about past, present, and future technologies that promise to appeal to everyone. The daily Technical Sessions provide the opportunity for power electronics engineers to exchange their new ideas and research results. The Dialogue Session allows individuals to have lively face-to-face discussions. The Seminars on Sunday and Monday morning serve as the educational tool to bring us back to the fundamentals. The Monday night annual MicroMouse competition has been the most entertaining event that even appeals to non-power electronics engineers. The Rap Sessions are a chance to examine timely and controversial issues. The relatively new OEM Initiative program has all invited speakers from industries and universities to address the latest issues and share their research programs.

Be sure you do not miss the free-of-charge APEC Exposition. You can meet with leading power electronics companies and try their newly released products hands-on from Monday evening through Wednesday noon. You will also meet over 2000 attendees in the Exhibit Hall during the conference reception and the luncheons. On Wednesday evening, the Social Event at the Austin Music Hall brings you the famous Texas BBQ and Billy Joe Shaver's live band performance. The daily Spouse and Guest Program promises to show the best of Austin. So bring your family and friends and enjoy all the fun!

During the course of preparation, the APEC Committee members have volunteered countless hours and provided different perspectives to make APEC better than ever. We also received tremendous help from local companies and individuals to provide scouting services. I would like to express my sincere thanks to these volunteers. I also need to express my appreciation to the staff of Courtesy Associates, who have worked closely with the Committee to ensure a seamless conference. Welcome to APEC 2005! May your week with us in Austin be both enjoyable and rewarding.

Jason Lai,
APEC 2005 General Chair