January 29, 2013 – BICSI—an association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment—concluded a successful 2013 Winter Conference & Exhibition last week in Tampa, Fla., and EBMag was there to take in the action.

The sold-out exhibit hall opened on Sunday, showing off nearly 180 vendors displaying state-of-the-art products and solutions. The Exhibit Hall was also home to the 6th Annual Cabling Skills Challenge and several Speed Challenges.

At Tuesday morning’s Opening General Session, president Jerry Bowman officially welcomed attendees to the conference, which marked BICSI’s 40th anniversary.

“This conference is a very special celebration for BICSI. We’ve come a long way in 40 years, and while this is a time for reflection, it is also a time for forward thinking. We are proud of all that has been accomplished, but we continue to look ahead, always moving forward, to ensure the stability and prosperity of this great association and ever-evolving industry,” said Bowman.

The association started with 17 members, and now serves nearly 23,000 ITS professionals worldwide.

“Without BICSI’s efforts—through its standards, publications and volunteers—the industry that we enjoy today would have probably never happened,” said William Hatton of HatMac Communications. “This conference is a chance for all of us to meet and see how much BICSI has given. We are still able to network, meet old friends and make new ones.”

The General Session’s technical presentations covered a variety of topics, including the convergence of Wi-Fi, DAS and smartphones as multi-venue intelligent amenities; delivering communications solutions in a challenging arctic environment; cabling infrastructure for educational facilities; and the STEP rating system.

BICSI is a professional association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry. ITS covers the spectrum of voice, data, electronic safety & security, project management and audio & video technologies. It encompasses the design, integration and installation of pathways, spaces, optical fiber- and copper-based distribution systems, wireless-based systems and infrastructure that supports the transportation of information and associated signalling between and among communications and information-gathering devices.