The 2013 SCTE Cable-Tec Expo (October 21-24) is set to return to Atlanta, and show organizers had to pull off a small miracle considering the event was rescheduled and moved (it was originally to be held in New Orleans) in order to sidestep a conflict with this year’s IBC Conference in Amsterdam.
All that moving and shaking required a team effort from SCTE vendor and operator members, including a big assist from host MSO Cox Communications, and industry partners such as CableLabs, according to SCTE president and CEO Mark Dzuban, who recently discussed the upcoming event with Multichannel News.
Despite those big changes and the ongoing consolidation of the cable industry, Dzuban said attendance is “lining up” with the attendance numbers generated in 2012 show, which drew 9,200, down from 10,000 in 2011.
“I think we’re in pretty good shape… We’re seeing pretty good international attendance, which is consistent around 50 to 60 countries turning out. I think people appreciate what we’re doing here [in North America] as sort of the center of gravity around learning and sharing that knowledge,” Dzuban said.
Although the show lost Motorola as a separate exhibitor (it’s now part of Arris Group), the show floor space rentals this year's cable tech-fest is “staying pretty stable,” Dzuban said.
For the full Q&A with Dzuban and a preview of what will be buzzing at this year’s show, please see the October 14 issue of Multichannel News.
