Wireless infrastructure association PCIA is gearing up for its first industry trade show since it narrowed its focus to the tower sector last fall, but tight travel budgets will not be the only factor threatening the show’s success.
PCIA’s Wireless Infrastructure Conference & Expo, taking place Oct. 1-3 in Hollywood, Fla., is scheduled less than a month before media company Shorecliff Communications L.L.C.’s 2003 Tower Summit & Trade Show, traditionally the premier trade show for the wireless infrastructure community, kicks off in Las Vegas.
Much of the infrastructure industry is divided as to how to deal with the two similarly structured shows, weighing the high costs of attending or exhibiting at two shows against the business prospects of attending just one.
PCIA’s show should be appealing to wireless infrastructure companies given that PCIA is a not-for-profit organization and so all proceeds from the show will go directly back into the industry, said PCIA spokeswoman Betsy Stephenson.
Not all potential show participants agree-the chief executive officer of one mid-sized infrastructure provider said he is “offended” that PCIA expects him to give his money to his competition.
But so far, overall response has been positive, Stephenson said, with those financially unable to exhibit still expressing interest in attending. The group is anticipating 1,500 to 2,000 attendees and 100 exhibitors covering 17,000 square feet of exhibit space. “We don’t hear a lot of people saying no,” said Stephenson. Counting sponsors, there are 29 registered exhibitors to date.
“We expect the PCIA show will be the premier event for the tower sector in 2003, actively supported by the major tower companies, representatives of all the major carriers, and the financial community,” said Steve Clark, chief executive officer of SpectraSite Communications Inc., which has signed on as a platinum sponsor of the PCIA show. “The tower industry has grown and matured to the point where it no longer makes sense to depend on a third party like Shorecliff to organize an annual show.”
But Shorecliff does not feel pressured by the PCIA show, according to President Andrea Downs. “The market’s a little flat, but we will grow a little bit [from last year],” said Downs. And despite smaller corporate travel budgets hindering some smaller Shorecliff conferences, Downs does not believe Tower Summit will be affected. The group is expecting more than 200 exhibitors to participate in what Downs called “the one proven tower show,” dedicated to the entire wireless infrastructure sector, not just tower companies.
Notably, American Tower Corp., Crown Castle International Corp., SBA Communications Corp., SpectraSite Inc. and Sprint Sites have signed on as platinum sponsors of PCIA’s event, but only Sprint Sites has made it onto Shorecliff’s marquee as of yet.
According to Shorecliff’s Web site, SiteMaster and Sprint Sites will be platinum sponsors, CommScope Wireless and Pegasus Tower are signed on as gold sponsors, and AAT, Berliner Communications Inc., Telecommunication Title Services and THinc Wireless will be silver sponsors. There will “absolutely” be more sponsor support, said Downs, adding several new sponsors will be announced in the coming month.
However, whether the big name public tower companies will make a showing at the Shorecliff show remains a question. “The PCIA show is the only tower show that SpectraSite will attend this year,” said SpectraSite’s Clark. “To my knowledge, it is also the only tower show that American Tower, Crown Castle, SBA, Pinnacle, AAT and several other tower companies will attend.”
PCIA’s three-day conference will include educational programs focused on and led by tower companies, carriers, regulators, PCIA members and committees and other industry participants. Three soon-to-be-announced keynotes will drive the focus of the show and sessions will include topics like environmental tower law, antenna structure registration, carrier regulatory requirements, current and future funding trends, risk reduction and revenue improvement, homeland security and critical infrastructure, and backhaul and other emerging technologies.
Shorecliff will offer a new showcase highlighting government-related topics like: new government tower opportunities, homeland defense and public-safety improvements, public utility companies, Wi-Fi and hot spots, zoning and environmental experts, and investment and financial providers. More wireless carrier support is also expected this year, Downs said, which is key to conference attendees striving to do business with the carriers.
“I’m for whoever can bring the most customers by my booth,” said Jim Fryer of Fryer’s Tower Source, who plans to attend both shows despite the strain he said it will put on his marketing budget well into 2004. Fryer expects the duel to cause attendance at both shows to suffer. “The state of the industry doesn’t warrant and won’t support two shows and most companies have to choose which to put their money on,” he added, “I think only one remains standing when it’s over.”
