Six of the country's largest cable operators have accepted the offer of lower
association dues and free rooms from the California Cable Television Association
in return for a commitment to sent executives to the Western Show this
winter.
The operators are AT&T Broadband, Adelphia Communications Corp., Charter
Communications Inc., Cox Communications Inc., Insight Communications Co. Inc.
and Time Warner Cable. All but Insight have large business presences in
California.
In order to stem the kind of drop in attendance suffered by the National Show
in Chicago in June, executives from the CCTA announced that they would offer a
'Back to Anaheim' package of benefits to induce operators into supporting the
trade show.
The benefits include assistance to the MSOs from an 'executive concierge' in
the CCTA staff to help cable companies schedule management meetings around the
trade gathering, which moves back to Anaheim, Calif., after a two-year hiatus in
Los Angeles.
Participation by the companies is varied. Adelphia will stage a meeting of
corporate and regional operations staff, in addition to its national marketing
group. A leadership session for top-level executives is planned by AT&T
Broadband, and Charter's senior management will also convene at the show.
General managers and senior corporate manager of Cox will get together, and
Time Warner and Insight both promised attendance at the trade meeting by several
top executives.
Features have also been added to the Western Show schedule. The traditional
CableNET display will be supplemented by a separate interactive exhibit.
Sessions will include one-on-one conversations with notable contributors to
the cable industry -- a feature that will debut with John Rigas of Adelphia and
Robert Pittman of AOL Time Warner Inc.
The Cable TV Hall of Fame dinner has been added to the show calendar, as well
as 'The Bandies,' an awards show for interactive applications and
content.
