Events

by Tom van der Heyden

The multi-channel TV industry is more competitive than ever, with a major focus on growing business while navigating the new world of online media and digital content. This was the consensus during the CASBAA Con-vetion held in Hong Kong last November.

The next Pacific Telecommunications Conference, PTC ’10, will again focus on a hot topic for many in the telecommunication and IT industries, "cloud computing". While seemingly esoteric to many, especially some in the sometimes insular satellite sector, cloud computing is coming to dominate the thinking of planners and implementers in many telecommunications and IT sectors. The conference, to be held January 17-20, 2010, in Honolulu, Hawaii (www.ptc.org), will bring the concept of cloud computing down to earth and examine its impact in a variety of ways, including the challenges and opportunities it presents to the satellite sector.

The CASBAA Convention 2009 to be held in Hong Kong from November 3-6,  is the only industry event in Asia that unites leading visionaries and influencers from satellite, cable TV, broadband, content providers, online platforms, telecommunications, technology, advertising and regulatory organizations in Asia’s 14 markets, which now account for 315m subscription television subscribers.

It was business as usual at CommunicAsia 2009 as 54,354 attendees congregated at Asia’s largest media and IT trade event from June 16-19. Of the total number of attendees, 49 per cent came from outside of Singapore, hailing from about 100 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, US and the Middle-East.

Embracing the world of media

Over 1,000 attendees officially registered for the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) conference held in Hawaii from January 17-21, 2009 with 4,000 more participating in the event as "networkers." This number was lower than in previous years, but the quality of the attendees in terms of having top executives of leading companies more than made up for the quantity of delegates. Besides, the PTC is slightly different from other shows in that it has five times as many other participants who can register as a "networker" and still participate in the many activities surruonding the event. Set in the paradise-like setting of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki--it might be hard to believe that any work can actually get done here. But make no mistake about it-a lot of business is being done at the PTC and the quality and depth of the sessions are as good as any.

If you think you’ve explored every possible market for  satellite services and products, think again. One of the industry’s best kept secrets is a major trade show that attracts almost three times the number of attendees as the annual Satellite show in Washington, D.C. The Broadcast, Cable and Satellite Eurasia Expo and Conference held annually in Novermber in Istanbul, Turkey attracted 14,000 attendees in 2007 and 511 exhibiting companies from 44 countries. The exhibition and conference’s main draw is the emerging market of over 500 million people in the Eurasian region where Turkey is a major center.

The satellite industry will be facing serious challenges in raising new capital and credit due to the downturn in the world financial markets. This was the gist of a whole-day ISCe Satellite Investment Symposium (ISIS-NYC) held at the 3 West Club in midtown Manhattan, New York last October 13, 2008. 

One of the industry’s  little secrets is actually a major trade show that attracts almost three times the number of attendees as the annual Satellite show in Washington, D.C.  The Broadcast, Cable and Satellite Eurasia  Expo and Conference held annually in November in Istanbul, Turkey attracted over 14,000 attendees in 2007 and 511 exhibiting companies from 44 countries. The exhibition and conference’s main draw is the emerging market of over 500 million people in the Eurasian region where Turkey is a major center.