article page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Pipeline: Sometimes large shows can be a bit daunting for exhibitors and attendees alike. Does NXTComm offer any services to ensure that vendors and prospective buyers are connected?
Wayne Crawford: We do, actually. We've tried to do a couple of things. We've tried to make our website more comprehensive and better organized. In addition, we do have a tool called “My NXTComm.” Once an attendee is preregistered, they get emails inviting them to join the portal. There are a variety of services within the portal that match them up with exhibiting companies they may want to see, as well as match them up with peers if they want to network. It also helps them identify conference programming they might be interested in.
Pipeline: Did you offer that at last year's NXTComm?
|
|
We have a great keynotes lineup. |
|
Wayne Crawford: We have a great keynotes lineup. We have the very large service providers well represented, but also have one session in which we're talking about broadband and other services in the local loop. We've got a panel with executives of XO, Cincinnati Bell, and Telus, which are all smaller than the giants, and they're talking about things they're doing with their businesses. We also have Scott McNealy from Sun that's speaking. He's got a pretty good message on software and services and open source.
Pipeline: Along those same lines, Pipeline readers would be interested in learning more about the OSS/BSS Pavilion. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Wayne Crawford: Certainly. It's called the OSS/BSS Corridor, and it's something we're
|
|
|
|
Wayne Crawford: We did, but it being the first year, we didn't promote it all that heavily. We're trying to be more consistent and comprehensive about how we approach that this year. We're trying to get a higher penetration rate in terms of usage. There are a couple of different solutions that show organizers can use. We use one by a company called BDMetrics that we feel is the most powerful and most comprehensive. It does a lot of data mining and has a lot of algorithms built into it to help guide the attendee to things they might want to see. On the other side of it, there's a corresponding exhibitor feature called SmartBooth. Exhibitors can use this to reach out and identify individuals they want to see. It helps them proactively go out and try to initiate a connection, but isn't so overbearing that they can spam an attendee. They can initiate a connection and the attendee can accept or reject that.
Pipeline: Our readers are specifically interested in the OSS/BSS side of telecommunications. Which of your keynote speakers do you think will have the most valuable information to share with Pipeline readers?
|
|
trying for the first time this year. On our show floor, we've tried to add a few features like that: Places to go to on the show floor that have a specific focus. The companies participating in that include Aricent, Omni, Amartus, and Sonus. Those are the companies they would be able to see if they went to that area. (Several other companies of interest to the OSS/BSS set are highlighted below. -ed.)
Pipeline: You’re giving quite a bit of press to the keynote address from Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor, going so far as to have an entire “evening with Survivor Producer Mark Burnett” that includes wine and cheese. Does this represent an increased focus on the content/entertainment side of the telecom market?
Wayne Crawford: It does. As an event, we're trying to offer a soup-to-nuts approach to technologies and services that serve this particular industry. That means everything from fiber and routers and switches to applications and services. It's transforming from an engineering event, like Supercomm
article page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|
