BICSI WINTER CONFERENCE DELIVERS FRESH START TO THE YEAR
Tampa, Fla., January 30, 2009- Events surrounding the 2009 BICSI Winter Conference & Exhibition have officially concluded after a full two weeks of BICSI courses, credentialing exams, educational presentations, exhibits and valuable networking opportunities.
The conference hosted more than 4,800 attendees. In addition to the more than 1,600 registered information transport systems (ITS) professionals, there were 1,888 one-day passes purchased onsite for those who were focused on seeing the new ITS products and solutions that were debuting at the conference.
"We have a fresh start going into 2009," said Edward Donelan, RCDD, NTS, TLT, BICSI President. "The results coming out of this conference support the fact that the ITS industry is strong and will continue to flourish."
The closing general session on Thursday, January 22, opened with two technical presentations. Alfred Flores, RCDD, with Berk-Tek, talked about the next generation solution for networking environments in the program "40/100 Gb Ethernet Over Multimode Optical Fiber, Planning for Infrastructure Readiness." He was followed by Todd Fries, with HellermanTyton, who presented the audience with an advanced look at what is being proposed for the new TIA-606-B labeling standard.
Despite uncertain economic times, the BICSI Reception and Exhibits drew healthy crowds each evening. "It really didn't matter about the quantity, it was more about the quality of the people that stopped and visited our booth," said Crystal DeSiena, with Tyco Electronics AMP NETCONNECT. "We are rather happy with the business leads."
Eric Sadler, with Porta Systems Corp. in Syosset, New York adds, "BICSI events are always great venues for quality networking and this was a very productive show for us."
Finishing out the conference, closing keynote speaker Lou Holtz shared his inspirational, and oftentimes hilarious, life stories as a college football coach, a husband and a father.
Touching on a theme President Obama expressed in his inaugural address, Holtz urged the audience to think about the attitude they present in difficult situations. "We're all going to get knocked down from time to time, that's life, but when you're down, you can stay down or you can choose to pick yourself up." he stated. "You still have the chance to succeed even if others don't believe in you, but if you stop believing in yourself, then you have no chance to succeed."
The ITS industry will carry forward and venture on to the beautiful Inner Harbor of Baltimore in May for the 2009 BICSI Spring Conference & Exhibition.
BICSI by the numbers
Total attendees: 4,898
Total professional attendees: 1,637
Total exhibiting companies/exhibitors: 175 companies with 987 representatives
Total guests: 386
Total Exhibit Hall one-day passes: 1,888
Pre-conference seminars attendance: 910
First-time attendees at a BICSI Conference: 90
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BICSI is a professional association supporting the information transport systems (ITS) industry. ITS covers the spectrum of voice, data and video technologies. It encompasses the design, integration and installation of pathways, spaces, fiber- and copper-based distribution systems, wireless-based systems and infrastructure that supports the transportation of information and associated signaling between and among communications and information gathering devices.
BICSI provides information, education and knowledge assessment for individuals and companies in the ITS industry. We serve more than 25,000 ITS professionals, including designers, installers and technicians. These individuals provide the fundamental infrastructure for telecommunications, audio/video, life safety and automation systems. Through courses, conferences, publications and professional registration programs, BICSI staff and volunteers assist ITS professionals in delivering critical products and services, and offer opportunities for continual improvement and enhanced professional stature.
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 140 countries. For more information, visit www.bicsi.org.
Contact: Tom Damico, tdamico@bicsi.org, or Maarja Kolberg, mkolberg@bicsi.org, +1 813.979.1991
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