Welcome to Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love!

It is my great pleasure to invite you to the 2018 International Microwave Symposium (IMS2018), the preeminent annual gathering of the RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave researchers, technologists, and practitioners from academia and industry. The IMS is the flagship conference of the Microwave Theory & Techniques Society (MTT-S) of the Institution of Electrical and Electronics engineers (IEEE). The IMS2018 will be held June 10 – 15, 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia.

IMS2018 (www.ims2018.org) is the centerpiece of Microwave Week 2018, a week of co-located conferences on RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave technologies. Microwave Week 2018 includes the 2018 Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Symposium (www.rfic-ieee.org) and the 2018 Automatic Radio Frequency Techniques Group (ARFTG) Conference (www.arftg.org). Unique to the Microwave Week 2018, the 2018 International Microwave Bio-Conference (IMBioC’18; www.imbioc-ieee.org) will be a co-located conference and held on June 14 – 15, 2018.

IMS2018 themes, “Microwaves, Medicine, Mobility”, highlight the contributions of the RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave research, development, and products to the fields of medicine (including diagnosis and treatment) and telecommunications (including 5G, Internet-of-Space (IoS), and Internet-of-Things (IoT)). IMS2018 will demonstrate how the contributions of the MTT-S members and associates, from the cutting edge research laboratories to the innovative industry partners, impact to benefit the community at large. The benefits include, but not restricted to, achieving better health outcomes and communications -- across communities, countries, and continents. The greatest benefit that IMS2018 will provide is that it reminds all attendees on what binds us together as a world-wide community -- a thirst for knowledge and a passion to create technologies that improve our everyday lives.

Microwave Week 2018 will draw more than 9000 attendees from around the world to the symposium’s technical sessions, workshops, and short courses; and to the attendant exhibition with more than 800 industry exhibitors showcasing their latest developments in microwave devices and products, design software, and test and measuring equipment.

Opportunities to interface with and learn from fellow attendees include exhibition workshops and application seminars, where industry experts explain the technology behind their products and highlight their applications. Professional and social networking events are available to many interest groups, including the Young Professionals, Women in Engineering/Women in Microwaves (WIE/WIM), Amateur Radio (HAM), STEM for Middle and High Students, and Project Connect for Under-Represented Minorities.

The IMS is being held in Philadelphia after a gap of fifteen years. While some visitors are bound to notice changes in a vibrant city that has been recognized as America’s First Heritage City, many will note that the certain features of Philadelphia endure over centuries. The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and the Franklin Court remind us of Philadelphia’s role in the nation’s birth. The city’s large number of museums, including the Museum of Art with its largest collection of Duchamp and the Rodin Museum with its largest public collection of Auguste Rodin’s sculptures, provide avenues to sample its rich cultural treasures.

Day trips in June’s pleasant weather provide additional opportunities to experience Philadelphia and its surroundings at the Valley Forge National Historical Park, Gettysburg National Military Park, Longwood Gardens, or at the Phillies baseball game. Our foodies get to sample the city’s finest restaurants; while everyone must sample at least once at the Reading Terminal Market, the world famous Philly Cheesesteak, wit or witout is your choice!

Come for the conference, extend your stay with your loved ones for the experience!

I look forward to seeing you in Philly in June 2018.

Best regards,
Sridhar Kanamaluru
IMS2018 General Chair