Redundancy reigns when tradeshows attack

Michael Harris

June 20, 2007

1 Min Read
Expo-nential Tradeshow Activity

Telecom and cable infrastructure providers pride themselves on delivering fully redundant equipment that meets strict availability requirements. The trade associations funded by their U.S. service provider customers do their part by delivering redundant tradeshows.

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) kicked off the melee with The Cable Show, May 6-9 in Las Vegas. A mere six weeks later the industry must be jonesing for tradeshow action, since the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is running its Cable-Tec Expo in Orlando this week -- from June 19-22.

"The shows have a different focus and attract different audiences," the cable show organizers say. That's PR-spin for "don't touch our essential association revenue streams," of course.

Adding insult to injury, the SCTE once again scheduled its event concurrent with the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) 's NXTcomm, now playing June 18-21 in Chicago. Too bad for those telco and cable execs that might benefit from "cross training." Commuting between Chicago and Orlando is not in the cards.

When will SCTE end the insanity and move Expo to the Fall? 2008 would be nice. Otherwise we're looking at another three-peat next year, with The Cable Show slated for May 18-20 in New Orleans, and NXTcomm scheduled for June 16-19 in Vegas.

While speaking of the wonders of redundancy, it's worth remembering that in the U.K., the term is used when dismissing a worker whose job has become unnecessary. Quite apropos.

— Michael Harris, Chief Analyst, Cable Digital News

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