I am sure you’ve noticed we have made quite a few changes recently at Laser Focus World. The reason for these changes is quite simple—we want to provide you, our audience, with the mix of content you desire and deserve.
Let’s look at a few of the most noticeable changes. First, we refreshed our website with a focus on posting original content daily. As you have probably noticed, our content is a nice mix of articles contributed by leading photonics engineers and scientists as well as features written by our in-house team.
We also launched the complete redesign of our magazine and logo in April. As part of the process, we revisited some of the monthly sections. For instance, we added the Faces in Photonics section with a goal of dedicating space in print (and online) to spotlight the many talented people who together make up the growing photonics community. It’s the diversity of talent that will ultimately spark the next level of innovation.
There is one more significant change I want to spotlight. We have rebranded the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar to the Laser Focus World Executive Forum. Currently in its 37th year, the annual seminar will continue as an event strategically curated to address the business of photonics including market information, and an array of timely sessions including insightful interviews, analyst presentations, panel discussions, and strategic networking exercises all designed to help today’s leadership teams make meaningful business decisions.
Our business section online and in the magazine carries this same name—and for good reason. The business of photonics has matured significantly, and we are determined to provide you with timely business-centric information on an ongoing basis. As the Executive Forum section continues to grow, it will closely align with the same goals we have for our signature event. You will also see a fair amount of research results in this section, with the recap and link to the full results of our first annual salary survey being a prime example. We understand the importance of providing you with business intelligence.
We are now well into the planning phases of the January 30, 2023 event, with many of the sessions taking shape. In coming weeks and months, we will provide a peek into what we have planned with teasers, interviews, and Q&As with our speakers in the Executive Forum section.
I am excited to share that we have secured Dr. Anirban Basu, chairman of the Sage Policy Group, to serve as our opening keynote presenter once again. Dr. Basu is a well-respected economist and dynamic speaker known for sharing a fresh perspective on the global economy. Last year’s attendees raved about his address, and anyone who attends in January is in for a treat.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about our changes. This is your community, so let’s keep the dialogue open.
Peter Fretty | Market Leader, Digital Infrastructure
Peter Fretty began his role as the Market Leader, Digital Infrastructure in September 2024. He also serves as Group Editorial Director for Laser Focus World and Vision Systems Design, and previously served as Editor in Chief of Laser Focus World from October 2021 to June 2023. Prior to that, he was Technology Editor for IndustryWeek for two years.
As a highly experienced journalist, he has regularly covered advances in manufacturing, information technology, and software. He has written thousands of feature articles, cover stories, and white papers for an assortment of trade journals, business publications, and consumer magazines.