Virtual Expo — Don’t Miss It!
By Mark Dzuban
Another trail blazed!
When we morphed SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo® into a virtual experience this year, it was hardly the first time SCTE•ISBE had taken a bold step on behalf of our industry. Transforming a signature event into cable and telecommunications’ most ambitious remote event ever — and making it free to all — was simply the latest example of how we are changing the game for the industry.
It’s been that kind of year. Even before our industry outdid itself in meeting the needs of the quarantined, we were taking the wheel to steer cable into uncharted territory. The SCTE•ISBE Standards Explorer initiative we announced in the spring has generated new ideation and partnerships in telehealth, telemedicine, aging in place, IoT and other areas that are joined at the hip with the emerging 10G platform.
When remote work, education, lifestyles and entertainment applications kept us functioning during pandemic isolation, standards, operational practices and training developed by SCTE•ISBE were there to help the industry carry the ball. The result was near flawless delivery of broadband services with network performance that carrier-class advocates would envy.
Now the scenario is coming full circle: the broadband power that SCTE•ISBE and the industry have collaboratively unleashed is enabling cable workforce professionals worldwide to benefit from four days of visionary insights, technical innovation and shared learning. Whether you’re in the field or in finance, in Florida or in France, you’ll be able to put your ear to the ground Oct. 12-15 and hear the voices that are shaping our industry.
A brief word here about how all of this came to be: SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo Virtual Experience has been made possible through the awesome support of Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Comcast, the SCTE Foundation and others. When Colorado appropriated the convention center in Denver as an emergency COVID-19 treatment facility, our presenting sponsors immediately stepped up to ensure that the value of Expo to the industry would be preserved. It goes without saying that we are grateful and humbled for their support.
Let me tell you why this is important to have on your calendar. Our program co-chairs, Tom Monaghan of Charter and Ed Marchetti of Comcast, and our entire Expo team have made sure that nothing is lost in the transition this year to Expo Virtual Experience. We’ll have:
- C-level insights at the opening general session.
- 40 workshops on topics such as Operational Transformation, 10G, Wireless, Smart Cities, Security, and Lessons Learned During the Pandemic.
- A Learning & Development Experience chaired by Cox’s Nancy Murphy that will help executives tasked with workforce training understand how learning must evolve in times of change.
- A WICT/SCTE Foundation session that will address stereotypes, diversity and the difficult conversations around those issues, featuring a panel of executive women of color from across the industry.
- Special events by three Corporate Alliance Partners: Viavi Solutions (fiber construction workshop); Corning (The COVID Conundrum: Lessons Learned Accelerating Network Evolution); and Tempo Communications (online Jeopardy-type game testing cable knowledge).
- A sponsor showcase that will mirror the excitement of the show floor.
One more thing: I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but we will have a groundbreaking demo as a highlight of the opening general session. All I can tell you is that it’s the type of innovation you’d expect from our industry as we harness the 10G platform. You’ll have to join us on the morning of Oct. 12 to find out more. Registration is at expo.scte.org.
It’s important at a time like this to take a look back at 2020 and everything that SCTE•ISBE and our industry have accomplished. Think about how operational expertise kept America and the world connected during some of the most challenging months in our history, and about how our innovation is on the verge of bringing 10G to life.
We should all feel proud of everything our industry has accomplished this year, but I’m sure I’m not the only one looking ahead at the same time to 2021, when we can once again gather together. I look forward to connecting with you virtually at Expo 2020, and to what’s next on the Expo calendar: “Fast Forward to 2021” in Atlanta.
Mark L. Dzuban
President/CEO, SCTE
As President and CEO of SCTE•ISBE, Mark Dzuban is continuing a lengthy career of telecommunications leadership. Mark has been instrumental in positioning SCTE•ISBE as a leader in energy management and technical education, driving creation of the Energy 2020 program, the CORTEX Expert Development System™ and other programs and services that build value for cable system operators, technology partners and individual members. Mark was honored with the prestigious NCTA Vanguard Award in 2011.
