Welcome to PR Vibes™, created by Calysto Communications to provide you with key insights into the publications and events in the telecommunications industry. Today, we’re featuring a short interview with Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA–The Wireless Association.
CTIA recently changed the name of its fall event to CTIA Enterprise & Applications™ from CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment. To help you better understand the event’s focus this year and in the future, we asked Mesirow to share some of his insight on the tradeshow and the motivation behind the name change. We hope this is helpful!
What was the motivation behind changing the name?
CTIA’s fall event has been fostering the developer community for the past 15 years and continues to do so by providing a place for cross-platform education, access to a marketplace and opportunities to network with carriers, manufacturers and key customers. This year’s name change was organic in nature. Over time, the enterprise segment of the show has gained more ground, and it made perfect evolutionary sense to rename the show CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS.
How does the new name better reflect the event’s focus?
CTIA has strong relationships in several key vertical markets, such as healthcare, energy, commerce and M2M. CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS really reflects the growing use of mobile technology in business and new opportunities for developers.
As the new name — CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS — implies, the show now places even more emphasis on the enterprise, and we have broadened programming within the event to focus on mobile business. For example, at this show, CTIA is launching the Enterprise Mobility Boot Camp, a two-day conference intended for IT professionals. It’s a robust educational program for which we are partnering with The Enterprise Mobility Foundation and have brought in experienced analysts to help us build the curriculum. During the Boot Camp, IT professionals will learn about tactical considerations, devices, operating systems, deployment strategies and security issues.
How are your customers responding to CTIA’s focus on mobile business and enterprise solutions?
Our new show name has resonated well with and energized many companies. The focus on mobile business has helped generate excitement about the show, and we’re expecting a successful event. According to our survey data and information we have gathered on enterprise Fortune 1000 companies, the timing for the name change and emphasis on mobile business is right in terms of the economy, enterprise comfort levels and wireless capital expenditures.
Can you give us some highlights of what we’ll see on the trade show floor?
The trade show floor will highlight emerging market segments, introduce new industry players and support one-stop-shopping for mobile business products and services. Technology pavilions will feature leading companies focused in the areas of mobile apps, cloud computing, m-commerce, wireless health, M2M and retail. A complete list of exhibitors and pavilions at CTIA Enterprise & Applications can be found at: http://www.ctiaenterpriseandapps.com/info/index.cfm/exhibit-floor#pavilions.
Tell us about the CTIA Hot for the Holidays awards competition?
In its second year, CTIA’s Hot for the Holidays awards program identifies and celebrates the hottest mobile consumer electronics products and applications. Winning entries will be touted as the “must-buy gifts” for everyone this holiday shopping season. Submission categories cover a variety of consumer personalities and pursuits, including: the globetrotter, music enthusiast, shutter bug, gadget guru, social butterfly and more. CTIA will display the entries and announce the winners at the fall show. Program details are available at www.ctiashow.com/awards.
What is the focus of the educational program this year?
CTIA’s fall educational tracks will focus on mobile enterprise, mobile applications, mobile retail, location-based services, and mobile health. We plan to deliver a compelling program with expert panels, real-world case studies and dynamic discourse about wireless trends and implementation strategies. Details on sessions and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks: http://www.ctiaenterpriseandapps.com/info/index.cfm/ctia-educational-sessions
Many organizations also partner with CTIA events to host their conferences. The high concentration of wireless industry influencers leads to interesting seminars on an array of subjects examining the impact of mobile business including: enterprise and cloud computing, media, content, health, energy, retail and transportation. A complete list of co-located partner events may be found online: http://www.ctiaenterpriseandapps.com/info/index.cfm/partner-events.
One of the cool features at this year’s show will be the iPad and Tablet Conference. This event will take place in a relaxed roundtable atmosphere and will address the latest opportunities and obstacles including case studies on iPad development and launches, consumer usage habits, ad-funded, sponsored and premium iPad apps, business and revenue models and best practices in deployment.
Who are you expecting to attend?
The show attracts a broad range of attendees from a variety of industries—all with the goal of helping enterprises embrace and build a wireless strategy that best fits their needs. Enterprise decision makers, app developers, and vertical market thought-leaders, along with wireless industry players will all be in attendance. The show is trending well. Attendee registration has been brisk, and in some sectors, up over last year’s numbers.
Summary
The enterprise is embracing wireless. There is significant activity around new applications of wireless technology—from health and wellness to mobile commerce to app development. As a result, we expect a strong performance at CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS. To register and learn more about the show visit: http://www.ctiaenterpriseandapps.com/.