What are the hottest innovations in telecom and what do they actually do? Those are the two main questions to be answered at the Big Telecom Event, which will take place on June 17 and 18, 2014, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.

Carrying the tagline "Specs & Plugs & Rock & Roll," the event will marry real-world, cutting-edge technology demonstrations with interactive conference sessions, unrivalled networking, and some Grade A partying.

Figure 1:

The demonstrations, which will cover multiple facets of communications technology and be the centerpieces of the show floor, are being devised and delivered in collaboration with leading-edge industry organizations such as the Open Networking Foundation (ONF), which is best known for its work in driving the adoption of software-defined networking (SDN).

The conference will be driven by the super-talented analyst team at Heavy Reading and will focus on delivering actionable intelligence for attendees, who will play an active role in the sessions.

The networking will take place around the show floor demonstrations and displays and beyond, especially during the (ahem) "socials." Partying is mandatory.

In essence, the event is all about delivering an experience that's becoming harder to find on the current industry show circuit. The Big Telecom Event, one way or another, will be unforgettable.

Dan Pitt, executive director at the ONF, is "up for it," as us Brits like to say. "This is the kind of event the industry needs, and we're jazzed to be involved from its inception," he told me. "ONF believes SDN will pervade nearly every aspect of network operators' businesses in a beneficial way, and a show such as the Big Telecom Event, with its focus on proof-of-concept live showcases, will help educate and inspire network operators of all types," he added, knowing I would include that in the official press release announcing the show.

It's going to be a special event and, personally, I'm looking forward to going back to Chicago in June, having made that trip a number of times before Supercomm imploded. It's a great city and the Big Telecom Event is going to be a great show. Dan Pitt isn't the only one who's jazzed about it…

In the meantime, of course, we have the upcoming Ethernet & SDN Expo, which I'm "pumped" about. See you there!

— Ray Le Maistre, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

Interested in learning more on this topic? Then come to Ethernet & SDN Expo, a Light Reading Live event that takes place Oct. 2-3, 2013 at the Javits Center in New York City. Co-located with Interop, Light Reading's Ethernet & SDN Expo will focus on how the convergence of Carrier Ethernet 2.0 with emerging carrier software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization technologies could change the whole telecom landscape for service providers. For more information, or to register, click here.