The NXTcomm 2007 attendance numbers are out, and 18 percent of the readers who took our poll guessed the right figure.

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) expected more than 20,000 attendees for their first combined show since the fall of Supercomm, but the actual figure reported was 15,273.

The show's attendance miss wasn't a surprise. In the days immediately following the show, 61 percent of the readers who took our poll estimated that there were fewer than 15,000 attendees at the show, while 18 percent guessed 15,000 to 17,000. In all, only 12 percent of those polled felt the show hit its target of more than 20,000 attendees. (See NXTcomm Numbers and Poll Sees Low NXTcomm Numbers.)

"I think the consolidation in the carrier community certainly doesn't help the overall numbers," says NXTcomm executive director Wayne Crawford.

Crawford says that, while he would not characterize the attendance numbers as a disappointment, he would have liked to see more people attend the show.

"I think we accomplished what we really wanted to, which was reunify the industry and present a good product. We had good turnout from the Tier 1 carrier community, which Globalcomm did not," he asserts.

Next year, NXTcomm will move to Las Vegas and will be collocated with Infocomm -- a show that expects 30,000 attendees of its own. Will this move provide a needed shot in the arm for NXTcomm?

"I think the show will have a different makeup of attendees," says Crawford, noting that one of the reasons for moving the show to Las Vegas is to attract the technology crowd in Northern California. He acknowledges that the show is definitely moving beyond its traditional roots.

"We need to work to broaden the reach of the show beyond just a wireline telephony show for the telco carriers," says Crawford, adding that cable MSOs, while not yet significantly represented at the show, are starting to pay attention to the event.

— Raymond McConville, Reporter, Light Reading