TelecomNext Gets Good Reviews—But It’s Only First Shot in Battle of the Shows
The first annual TelecomNext convention got generally good reviews from exhibitors and attendees -- but most of those we talked to indicated the show, organized by USTelecom, is probably just first up in a convention battle with the Telecom Industry Assn. (TIA). The next stage of the battle is TIA’s Globalcomm, which begins June 5 in Chicago. TIA and USTelecom jointly organized Supercomm before the 2 split and decided to offer separate conventions beginning this spring.
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TelecomNext attracted 10,005 attendees last week in Las Vegas, USTelecom said, a figure that barely topped the 10,000 we're told exhibitors were promised. It had 275 exhibitors, using 215,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space but leaving considerable space available around the edge of the exhibit floor at the Mandalay Bay conference center. The convention did add space on a separate floor for an AT&T disaster recovery exhibit.
Globalcomm is promising more, saying it expects 20,000 attendees and over 450 exhibitors. Globalcomm, trading on its relationship to the old Supercomm convention, is expected to attract more international exhibitors and attendees. Supercomm had been attracting about 30,000 attendees in recent years, down from about 50,000 in the 1990s.
The big question is whether each show will grow or contract next year, after exhibitors and attendees assess their success at the first separated shows, according to exhibitors and attendees we talked to.
TelecomNext “far exceeded all expectations,” said USTelecom Pres. Walter McCormick. He said the group had promised the convention “would be a new kind of show for the converged communications and entertainment industries,” including media firms interested in IPTV, and technology firms doing IMS. “We look forward to building on this success in the years ahead,” McCormick said.
TelecomNext exhibitors told us they were generally pleased with traffic on the exhibit floor. Traffic was “very good” at the Scientific-Atlanta booth, an official there said. Another exhibitor agreed, but said it was too early to tell if all of those visiting the booth were “the right people.” Based on the high level of speakers at the convention, though, she expressed optimism that decision makers had visited the convention floor.
“This has been a pretty good show for us,” said Dana Rasmussen, Siemens senior vp-gen. mgr.-next generation networks. He said attendance didn’t appear to be as high as at Supercomm in Chicago last year, but “the quality of people is good. They're the main influencers.” He also cited “strong” media attendance at TelecomNext.
The ultimate question is whether 2 competing shows can long survive, regardless of how good the traffic is, one exhibitor told us: “In other industries, there is not enough room for two [conventions]. That may be even more true here -- there are really only a few customers and everybody already knows them. If you ask me, it’s just a matter of how long the consolidation of the shows takes.”
“Come talk to us in June,” after TIA’s Globalcomm, another exhibitor said when asked whether that firm would continue to exhibit at both. But, she added: “Can we afford not to?” She also noted that USTelecom and Supercomm have traditionally attracted somewhat difference audiences, with Supercomm heavier on international attendees. Still, she said, “we would like to see them consolidate.”
Siemens, however, isn’t concerned about the number of telecom conventions. Rasmussen noted that Siemens would exhibit at both TelecomNext and Globalcomm -- as well as the CTIA and NCTA conventions. He said 2006 is interesting because it’s a “transition year” for convention activity, but he doesn’t mind the number of conventions. “I would like to see them spaced out a bit better,” he added.